Cavaliers Look to Cool off Doncic, Mavericks
Cavaliers vs Mavericks Game Odds: Dallas Opens at -4
On the heels of its Christmas Day victory over Phoenix, Dallas will look to stay hot when it hosts Cleveland on Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET).
The Mavericks opened as 4-point favorites and are down a smidge to -3.5. They’re also -162 on the moneyline, with the Cavaliers priced +136 to win outright. Meanwhile, the projected total is 230.5.
What should bettors expect? Read on as we break down both NBA teams and assess the Cavaliers vs Mavericks game odds.
Cavaliers vs Mavericks 
Day/Time:
Location: American Airlines Center; Dallas
Cavaliers vs Mavericks Betting Trends
The Cleveland Cavaliers are 14-14-2 ATS, including 7-6-1 away from home. The Cavaliers have gone Over the NBA game total in four of their last five games and 16 of 30. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks are 16-14 ATS, including 6-8 at home. The Mavericks are also 19-11 against the Over/Under, covering the Over at a rate of 63.3%. That matches the fourth highest rate in the NBA. Be sure to remember that when assessing the Cavaliers vs Mavericks game odds.
Banged-up Cavs Leaning on Mitchell
The Cavaliers have been hot of late, with four wins over their last five games. At 17-13, the Cavaliers sit second in the Central Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference.
Although the Cavaliers have been a bit unpredictable for bettors, with a 16-14 record ATS, they’ve covered in seven of their last 10 games. As an underdog, they’re 6-6 ATS and 5-7 OU. That includes Saturday’s 109-95 victory over Chicago, in which they were a 6.5-point underdog.
Injuries have begun to mount, complicating matters for Cleveland. Guard Darius Garland (jaw) and center Evan Mobley (knee) are both out indefinitely, leaving the Cavaliers without their No. 2 and 3 scorers. Their absences have put more offensive pressure on Donovan Mitchell to produce, and he has.
The four-time All-Star is averaging 27.7 points on 46.4% shooting (35.1% from 3) to go with 5.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.8 steals. But Mitchell is also questionable for Wednesday’s game because of an illness. Bettors should monitor his status when analyzing the Cavaliers vs Mavericks game odds.
Notably, Cleveland is currently +750 to win the Central Division and +2000 to make the NBA Finals, one of five teams with 20/1 odds or better.
Mavs Following Luka’s Lead
As goes Luka Doncic, so goes the Mavericks. The four-time All-Star is putting together another terrific NBA season, averaging 33.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 9.4 assists.
The NBA’s second-leading scorer behind Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid (35.0 PPG), Doncic is coming off a 50-point outing in a 128-114 victory over Phoenix on Christmas Day. Doncic also reached 10,000 career points to eclipse the milestone in 358 career NBA games, seventh fastest in NBA history.
Doncic — who’s priced as high as +500 for NBA MVP across sportsbooks — has done most of his work without Kyrie Irving, who has been sidelined since Dec. 8 because of a heel contusion. But he too is now dealing with a questionable tag because of quad soreness.
Dallas has won two straight games but is just 3-4 over its last seven. Even so, it’s maintained its lead atop the Southwest Division at 18-12. Oddsmakers remain bullish, pricing the Mavericks as -120 favorites to win the division and +1200 to reach the Finals.
Notably, the Mavericks have covered in seven of their last 11 games and are 16-14 ATS overall. They’re also 7-1 ATS in their last eight games as a favorite. Keep that in mind when making your NBA predictions.
Handicapping the Game
Cleveland has the firepower to match the Mavericks, but only if Mitchell is healthy enough to play. Mitchell has scored at least 29 points in three of his last four games and is averaging 27.9 points on 45.3% shooting for the month of December. Obviously, if he were to sit, Cleveland would be at a significant disadvantage in terms of production and leadership. That is, of course, assuming Doncic plays.
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