Don't look now, but the Dallas Mavericks are in great shape. The Mavericks, led by the incredible Luka Doncic, have won seven straight games and moved into sixth place in the West Division standings. But they don't stop there, with the fifth-seeded Pelicans just 0.5 games behind. Doncic will be much more motivated to play well in Indianapolis than he was last weekend. Dallas is 4-1 ATS in their last five road games and has also won six of the East's last seven games. Thanks to Irving's outstanding performance during this winning streak, the Mavs enter tonight's game as a 1.5-point road favorite to win the championship.
I expect big things from the Indiana Pacers in the second half of the season. Tyrese Haliburton has recovered from a hamstring injury and is finally free to play without a minutes restriction. He had 25 points and 13 assists in a recent 14-point win over Detroit. This was Indy's fifth win in seven games, and like the Mavs, they are only two games out of the East's fourth seed, so any win will be big for them going forward. The team is 18-11 SU in 29 home games this season and 4-1 SU in the last five games against Southwest Division opponents.
This game could go either way, as both teams are evenly matched. I'm all for betting on points here, but the projected total of 252 points seems pretty high. The Mavs have significantly improved their defense over the past 10 games, ranking sixth in defensive rating. This game is a great test for them to see where they are in this aspect of the game. The under has cashed in seven times in the past nine games. We are particular about trends.
Less than 252 available at time of publication. You can play with that number.
