The Dallas Mavericks have a 6-2 spread record in their last eight games, including a 3-1 ATS mark in the span’s four home dates. Rick Carlisle’s club plays its second straight contest at American Airlines Center in Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, who have seen the ‘over’ cash at a 4-1 clip in their last five duels.
Sportsbooks opened Dallas as a 4.5 point favorite, leaving the
number unchanged after mixed early sports betting action. NBA odds makers first set the ‘total’ at 179.5, with initial ‘over’ wagers
lifting the digits quickly to 180.5.
Mavs crush Celtics at
home
Dallas notched its seventh win in eight games with Monday’s 89-73
triumph as a 9.5 point home favorite against the Boston Celtics. The Mavs never trailed, leading by as many as
26 points, while holding Boston to 39.2 percent field shooting.
Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki piled in 26 points and 16 boards,
logging his second double-double in three games. Dallas’ Jason Terry led his squad’s bench in
scoring with 16 points and six assists, hitting 6-of-11 buckets from the floor.
The lopsided affair’s combined 162 points dipped below the ‘total’
of 176, bringing the ‘under’ to 4-1 in the Mavericks’ last five contests. Dallas hit 10-of-14 free throws, while
outrebounding the Celtics, 51-44.
Lakers light up Blazers
Los Angeles cruised to as much as a 30-point lead in Monday’s
103-92 victory as a four-point NBA betting favorite against the Portland Trail
Blazers. The Lakers connected 45.8
percent of their field buckets, including 8-of-19 beyond the arc.
Lakers big men Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol both notched a
double-double, uniting for 30 points and 31 rebounds. The duo’s mate Kobe Bryant finished with a
team-high 28 points, knocking down 13-of-26 from the field.
The contest’s combined 195 points leaped ‘over’ the ‘total’ of
181. Lakers veteran Steve Blake logged a
season-high 17 points off the bench, while adding a pair of boards in 21
minutes of action.
Back the Mavs as home
‘chalk’
Wednesday’s tip is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. (ET), with ESPN
providing the national television coverage as the nightcap of an NBA
doubleheader.
I am adding Dallas to my NBA picks tonight, laying the low number
in the Mavs’ final contest before this weekend’s All-Star festivities. Nowitzki and Co. should look to pour it on
here with five idle days looming, while looking for revenge after last month’s
73-70 loss to the Lakers at Staples Center.
January’s duel saw Dallas held to 35 percent field shooting, with
just 4-of-26 buckets draining from three-point land. The shift in venue should get the Mavs’
scoring up here, with Dallas notching 96.6 PPG at home and connecting at 33.9
percent from downtown.
Dallas’ defense has also gotten stingy, allowing a league-low 41.5
percent field shooting overall and 41.1 percent on its home floor. The Mavericks have given up just 90.4 PPG at
American Airlines Center, including a drop to 85.8 PPG in that span’s last four
contests.
Los Angeles is 1-5 ATS in its last six road games, including a
102-90 defeat as 2 ½-point ‘chalk’ this past Sunday in Phoenix. The Lakers trailed by as many as 27 points,
while hitting a meager 3-of-18 beyond the arc.
Bryant and Co. have had home-road disparity all season, putting up
just 90.6 PPG in opposing gyms compared to 93.3 PPG overall. The Lakers have allowed 96.2 PPG in road
spots, allowing foes to connect at 43.6 percent from the field and a
sizable34.7 percent from three-point land.
Dallas is riding a 5-0 ATS streak in its last five meetings with
the Lakers, including last year’s four-game postseason sweep. The Mavericks have cashed with a 12-3 spread
mark in their last 15 home dates against foes with losing road records.
Look
for Carlisle’s crew to get the money again in “Big D,” while the Lakers may
pack it in early with a back-to-back trip to Oklahoma City coming up as part of
Thursday’s league slate.
NBA Pick: Dallas