We’ve got another stacked NBA schedule tonight with 11 games on the agenda and we will be previewing the Dallas Mavericks (33-24) vs the Cleveland Cavaliers (37-19).
Getting underway at 7:00 p.m. ET, the Mavericks head to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland as they feature in the second matchup of their four-game road stint. The Cavs will be looking for a much-improved display since they have looked far from their best following the All-Star Break.
BetMGM has the Cavaliers listed as 4.5-point favorites with the game total set at O/U 232.5. Our best bet for tonight’s game is coming up for the East vs. West battle!
Last Time Out
The Mavs have been playing a lot better basketball of late, facilitated by the additions of P.J Washington and Daniel Gafford before the trade deadline slammed shut. However, their seven-game winning streak came to an end in their last outing, losing 133-111 to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
Despite Luka Doncic putting up a game-high 33 points, and Kyrie Irving contributing 29 points himself, Dallas’ defense struggled in Indianapolis. Perhaps fatigue was starting to set in as they faltered in the final quarter, being outscored 33-20. They have now fallen to eighth-place in the Western Conference standings.
The Cavaliers are just 1-2 since the break, and were far from convincing in their 114-105 road victory against the Washington Wizards. Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert performed well with double-doubles each, but the offense has labored of late, averaging just 106.7 points per game (ppg) since the break.
Cleveland had started to slow down earlier than that, too, and are 2-3 over their last five. That includes two defeats against the Philadelphia 76ers who have struggled since losing star player Joel Embiid. Still, they are in a healthy position right now, sitting in second-place in the Eastern Conference.
Injuries & Team News
Josh Green, Dereck Lively II, Maxi Kleber and Doncic are all on the injury report for the visitors, but they are listed as probable to play. However, Dante Exum is expected to miss out due to a knee injury. Guard Irving will be returning to Cleveland after he played for the Cavs from 2011 to 2017.
The home side should be close to full health here with just Ty Jerome on the injury report, although Tristan Thompson remains suspended. Star guard Donovan Mitchell has been struggling with illness of late, but played 36 minutes against the Wizards on Sunday.
Head-to-Head
Dallas will be aiming to tie the season series tonight after they lost 113-110 at American Airlines Center near the end of 2023. Cleveland couldn’t contain Doncic who recorded 39 points, but strong displays from LeVert and Allen ensured the win, with the latter putting up a stunning 23 rebounds.
Having lost their last three straight games against the Cavs, the Mavericks will be desperate for the victory tonight. Their last win did come in Ohio, though, back in March 2022. The Mavs are 4-1 over their last five visits to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Betting Trends & Stats
Averaging 114.4 ppg this season, Cleveland have been pretty mediocre on offense, and they have struggled to find their rhythm recently, putting up over 110 points just once since the break. However, Dallas do have the tendency to leak points, proven by the fact they gave up 133 against the Pacers. They are allowing the 20th-most ppg in the NBA (117.4).
It is defensively where the Cavs have predominantly prospered, and they average the second-least ppg in the league (109.2). However, with both Doncic and Irving on fire at the moment, it could be tough to contain a Mavs team that averages the seventh-most ppg (118.6).
Both franchises have performed similarly against the spread (ATS) this season. The road team has covered in 52.6% of matchups, whilst the Cavs are only marginally worse at 51.9%. Dallas has a strong ATS record on the road, nevertheless (16-10-0), but they are just 10-14-0 as underdogs. Cleveland are 11-10-1 ATS as home favorites.
Key Players
Doncic is the league leader for average ppg this season (34.3), and now that Irving is back healthy and on form, the Mavericks can score from multiple areas. The former Cavalier is averaging 28.6 ppg over his last five. Tim Hardaway Jr. has impressed off the bench, too, averaging 17.1 ppg this season.
Allen and Evan Mobley are excellent defensive pieces for the Cavs with their season averages of 10.6 and 10.0 rebounds respectively. The hosts will also need Mitchell to get back to his best since he leads the team in points (28.1), assists (6.2) and steals (1.9). However, he only put up 16 points against Washington.
Best Bet
The Mavericks look like the better team coming off the break, in spite of their disappointing blowout loss to the Pacers in their last game. With both Doncic and Irving in excellent shape, even the strong defense of Cleveland may struggle.
Offensively, the Cavs have underwhelmed of late, and they will likely struggle to keep up with Dallas. Even if the home team can contain the Mavs and get the win, we’re backing Dallas to cover the spread and keep things close.
Dallas Mavericks +4.5 (-110 with BetMGM)
