Two strong defenses are set to face off as the Mavericks face the Cavaliers. Luka Doncic, fresh off a win over the Los Angeles Lakers, is ready to lead his team to another victory. Getting through the defense of the Cavaliers won’t be an easy task, though.
Dallas still has time to go up in the Western Conference, and a win here would help. Can they grab a third straight win today?
The Cleveland Cavaliers currently have the No.7 spot in the Eastern Conference. After suffering three losses in a row, they’ve fallen pretty far back.
However, the Eastern Conference is a tight race, and they’re only a few games behind the No.5 team. Their most recent game was a win over the Orlando Magic. If they can beat the Mavericks tonight, it could move them up to No.6. We also have this in our standard Parlay Pick for tonight.
Game Preview: Dallas Mavericks at Cleveland Cavaliers
Neither of these teams has an incredible offense; in fact, they both rank in the bottom ten. The Mavericks average just 106.67 points per game, ranking 25th in the NBA.
Most already know that the Mavericks and the Cavaliers both rely on their defense to win games. As a defense, the Mavericks rank second in the NBA, allowing 104.09 ppg. Is it good enough to beat Cleveland?
The Cavaliers have a slightly better scoring offense than the Dallas Mavericks. They average 107.17 points per game and have a better shooting percentage.
However, Luka Doncic is one thing the Cavaliers don’t have, and they’ll need to stop him. The last time these two played, the Cavaliers had no problem doing that. The question is, can they repeat their performance today?
Against the Spread: Dallas Mavericks -4.5
Although Cleveland handily beat the Mavericks in the last game they played, we think this will go differently. The Mavericks recently beat the Jazz by 14 points, then went on to beat the Lakers by 18.
If Dallas can pull off two wins like that, we can trust them to take down the Cavaliers. It’s also important to note that the Cavaliers are missing C Evan Mobley tonight.
The Total: UNDER 214
Because of the tenacity of these defenses, we don’t see this game going over 214. Our score prediction for this game is 108-102, with Dallas winning.
Over the last three meetings between these two, the total has gone under twice. This season, the Dallas Mavericks are 26-48-2 against the total. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 32-41-2 at the time of writing.
First Basket: Dwight Powell (+800)
This is an interesting wager to add to your ticket, but it could prove worthwhile. Dwight Powell is the center for the Dallas Mavericks.
One of the first things Dallas could do is test Cleveland’s interior since they’re missing Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. This will put Powell in the perfect position to score the first basket of the game.
Win Margin: Dallas Mavericks 1-10 (+170)
Finally, the win margin pick is perfect for a 1-10-point victory by the Dallas Mavericks. We already gave our prediction above, with the Mavericks winning by six.
Because these teams have strong defenses, the final score is bound to be close. Adding this Computer pick will boost your winnings on this Wednesday night game.