Dallas Mavericks Travel to Cleveland to Face the Cavaliers

Between the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers, you have two of the best defenses in the NBA. The Mavericks, however, had their defense put to the test against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This time, the defense failed, and they lost the game, 116-95.

Occasionally, it’s the offense that can be a problem for them. Luckily, the Cavaliers struggle with the same issue.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Dallas Mavericks are in the bottom ten in terms of offense. Since both teams rely on their defense, this game should be entertaining. At the time of writing, Cleveland is on a two-game losing streak.

In their game against the Lakers a few nights ago, they allowed 131 points. Another night like that, and the Cavaliers will surely lose to Dallas. 

Game Preview: Dallas Mavericks at Cleveland Cavaliers, March 30

Obviously, the player to watch in this game is Luka Doncic; however, there is a big problem. A lot of the players, including Tim Hardaway Jr., are injured. With the injury list growing for Dallas, they come in at a massive disadvantage.

They average just 106.73 points per game; with all the injuries they’ve had, that number will go down. Can Luka Doncic beat the Cavaliers on his own?

The Cavaliers’ offense isn’t much better than the Dallas Mavericks. Averaging 107.6 points per game, the Cavaliers rank 23rd in the NBA. The good news for them is they won’t be dealing with nearly as many injuries.

So, since they have the advantage and they’re playing at home, they seem like the better bet. They’re also 9th in the NBA in field-goal percentage; keep that in mind.

Dallas Mavericks at Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Prediction 

These two teams haven’t faced each other since November of 2021. Plenty has changed since then, including Kristaps Porzingus no longer playing for the Mavericks. However, we can use this game as a guide for what the spread could look like.

Dallas came into the game as a 6.5-point favorite but lost 114-96. In this game, we don’t think the Mavericks will be the favorite.

In fact, we think the Cavaliers will come in favored by somewhere around 3.5-points. Cleveland also has the benefit of playing at home, where they’ve gone 23-13 at the time of writing.

Although they’re 1-2 against the Mavericks in the last three, they’ve only played them once this season. With all of the injuries dealt to the Mavericks, the Cavaliers are a much better bet. 

When betting on the total, we think it’s almost a guarantee that it will go under. This season, the Mavericks are 25-47-2 against the total, with the Cavaliers at 32-39-2. In the last game, the total was set at 210.5, and it went under.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.