of dallas mavericks visit cleveland cavaliers Tuesday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Tip-off is at 7pm ET.
The Cavs are the favorites by four points, scoring 233.5 points per game.
Dallas (33-24 SU, 30-27 ATS, 27-30 O/U) lost to Indiana 133-111 on Sunday. The Mavs are in 8th place in the Western Conference standings.
Cleveland (37-19 SU, 28-28 ATS, 24-31-1 O/U) defeated Washington 114-105 on Sunday. The Cavs are in second place in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland defeated Dallas 113-110 on Dec. 27 in D-Town. While the Mavericks only scored 41 points in the second half, the Cavaliers fought back in the fourth quarter to pull away for the victory. Cleveland won the rebound battle 57-37 with 18 offensive rebounds and 17-of-43 (39.5%) 3-point shooting, but committed 16 turnovers. Dallas made 22 of 26 (84.6%) from the free throw line and scored 52 points in the paint. The home team led by as many as 20 points, but made 10 of 37 shots (27.0%) from outside the goal.
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Dallas has been getting better at basketball lately.
Dallas is averaging 118.6 points per game (8th) and shooting 47.8 percent (13th), including 37.5 percent on 3-pointers (10th). He made 75.6 percent of his free throw attempts (26th) and averaged 42.1 rebounds per game (24th). The Mavericks also average 25.4 assists (22nd) and 12.5 turnovers (4th) per game.
Dallas allows 117.4 points per game (20th) and holds opponents to 48.2 percent (20th), including 36.5 percent shooting from deep (15th), and 45.5 rebounds per game (27th). The Mavs are averaging 4.5 blocks (24th), 6.7 steals per game (27th) and 18.9 fouls per game (11th).
According to Dunk and Threes, Dallas ranks 6th in offensive rating, 22nd in defensive rating and 10th in pace (adjusted for schedule).
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Cleveland was dominant in its last game against Washington.
Cleveland is averaging 114.4 points per game (16th) on 48.3 percent shooting (12th), including 36.0 percent from 3-point range (19th). He made 76.9 percent of his free throw attempts (19th) and averaged 44.8 rebounds per game (7th). The Cavaliers also average 27.4 assists (10th) and 13.4 turnovers (18th) per game.
Cleveland allowed 109.2 points per game (2nd) and allowed opponents 45.5 percent (4th) on 36.0 percent shooting from deep (11th) and 42.1 rebounds per game (8th). The Cavs are averaging 4.8 blocks (21st), 7.6 steals per game (14th) and 18.4 fouls per game (6th).
According to dunks and threes, Cleveland ranks 16th in offensive rating, 2nd in defensive rating, and 23rd in pace (adjusted for schedule).
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The Mavericks will look to cover at least a four-point deficit against Ohio on Tuesday. The visiting team has been playing good ball lately, winning seven of their last 10 games. It's no surprise that their strong play coincided with the return of point guard Kyrie Irving this month. He's scoring 27.3 points per game this month on 56.3 percent shooting (including 45.6 percent from 3-point range). His fellow floor general Luka Doncic (28.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 8.2 APG) is nearly unstoppable in his position.
Cleveland has been one of the best teams in the NBA this season, but they don't come into this game with the same momentum they had the weekend before the All-Star Game. The Cavs lost the first two games of the second half and struggled to play consistently against Washington on Sunday, losing an 11-point lead in the third quarter and trailing by six points in the fourth before pulling away and winning.
I'm betting that Dallas will outscore Cleveland for the majority of Tuesday's East-West showdown, giving the visiting team a great chance for an outright victory.
Prediction: Mavericks +4
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I'm betting on the Mavs to win Tuesday's game against the Cavs at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The winner of this match will earn a clear victory as both teams are considered legitimate. The Mavericks are not a team to be taken lightly, so Cleveland will need to play more responsibly than they did Sunday against Washington. The Cavaliers dominated on the glass in their first matchup against the Mavs, shooting nearly 40 percent from deep, and it will likely be the same tomorrow.
Dallas is an offensive machine and a high-tempo (10th in adjusted pace) machine. Even after the disappointing loss against Indiana, I believe they can make the most of their opportunities and rise to the challenge against one of the best teams in the East. Don't expect a shootout. However, both teams will score enough points to ensure that they win even in the over.
Prediction: 233.5 or higher
