I was very disappointed because the Mavericks lost 133-111 in their last game in Indiana, ending their winning streak at 7. The good defensive habits they developed during their winning streak were nowhere to be found, and they were punished by one of the most prolific offenses in the NBA. They'll have a slightly more subdued offense in Cleveland tonight, but it won't be any easier than Monday's game. The Cavs had already defeated Dallas 113-110 in late December, their fourth win in their last five games. Kyrie Irving returns to Cleveland to face the team he spent his first six seasons with, and I expect him to dominate this season.
The Cavs just ended a mini-two-game slump after the All-Star break by defeating Washington, but it's unclear if they're completely out of the woods yet. Losing twice in two weeks to the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers is concerning, but they don't look as good as the team that went 18-2 at SU before the hiatus. They have failed to cover the spread in five straight games and are just 1-5 in their last six home games against the Mavs. The good thing heading into Tuesday's game is the fact that there are no injury concerns at this point, but it remains to be seen if they can sweep the regular season series from Dallas.
I think this is a good place for the Mavs to bounce back after their winning streak ended against Indy. Players like Doncic and Irving tell me they won't allow back-to-back season sweeps by the Cavaliers here. I ride the Mavericks on the money line.
