Game: Cleveland Cavaliers at Dallas Mavericks
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Odds: Cavaliers +6, Mavericks -6
Total: 210.5
Both Cleveland and Dallas have been hit by both the injury and illness bugs recently. They meet tonight at the American Airlines Center in Dallas where the Mavericks are a 6-point favorite. The Cavs picked up their first win in six games on Saturday defeating Orlando 105-92. Cleveland had lost five straight after starting the season 9-4.
The Cavs big blow was the loss of point guard Collin Sexton. The second-year pro is done for the season with a knee injury. Then, rookie Evan Mobley missed time with an elbow injury. He returned to the lineup on Saturday and scored 13 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and blocked four shots for the Cavs. Darius Garland, who has stepped into the role of point guard, hit 11-of-21 shots and led Cleveland with a double-double scoring 26 points and dishing out 11 assists.
Tonight’s game is the first of a stretch of games for Cleveland against teams currently in playoff position. They will play seven such games in a row. For all of their injury and illness woes, the Cavs have played well and kept games close. In their 20 games this season, Cleveland is 14-5-1 ATS including a 6-2-1 ATS record when playing on the road.
Dallas has actually played well at home winning six of eight games, but has only covered the spread in three of those games. In fact, the Mavericks are just 3-9 ATS in their last 12 home games. The Mavs have had their share of injuries too. Star Luka Doncic missed some time but has returned. His impact was felt in the Mavs last game as he put up 33 points and dished out 10 assists, but Dallas ended up losing to Washington 120-114.
The Mavs have really been mediocre at both ends of the court. They are only 23rd in scoring and the defense has been ailing. Dallas let Washington shoot 57 percent from the floor on Saturday. Interestingly, the Mavs have a net rating of -1.6. They are winning games. Dallas is 10-8 and currently fourth in the Western Conference standings. What the Mavs don’t do typically is cover point spreads.
Now, it’s worth noting that Dallas is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games. The totals in Mavs games are trending Over. The Over has hit in six of the last eight Dallas games. That has also been the trend in recent Cleveland-Dallas games. The Over has cashed a winning ticket in four of the last five games in this series.
As mentioned, the Cavs have been very good against the spread this season. In their last 14 games, Cleveland is 11-2-1 ATS. The Cavs are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five road games, but they haven’t been as successful against Dallas. They are just 1-5 ATS in the last six games against the Mavericks.