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The Dallas Mavericks visit the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center on Wednesday night.
Dallas is 35-23 on the season and they are second in the Southwest Division team standings and 7th overall in the Western Conference. The Mavs have won four out of their last six games and they are coming off a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. On the other hand, the Spurs are 24-32 in the year and they are in 5th place in the Southwest Division. San Antonio is 11th place in the Western Conference and they are still 3.5 games off the playoff pace. The Spurs head to this contest after getting blown out by the OKC Thunder in their last assignment.
Mavs Erase Loss to Hawks
The Dallas Mavericks erased one of their worst games of the season with one of their best offensive performances of the year. One game after suffering a 107-111 loss to the lowly Atlanta Hawks, the Mavs led from start to finish in a 139-123 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 23 points and led seven Dallas players who scored in double figures. Luka Doncic finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists as Dallas put up 81 points in the first half alone. Doncic could have easily gotten another triple-double had the Mavs not rested him during the entire fourth quarter. Seth Curry added 19 points while Delon Wright scored 16 for the Mavericks.
The Mavs are the 3rd highest-scoring team in the league at 116.8 points per game. They are averaging 47.2 rebounds per game, 4th overall. Dallas is 14th in the NBA in passing at 24.3 assists per game and they are allowing their opponents to score 110.6 points per game, 15th-best overall.
A Tough Loss for the Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs head home after dropping a 103-131 contest to the Oklahoma City Thunder in OKC on Monday night. The Spurs shot just 37% from the floor and were outscored 18-37 in a decisive third period that broke the game wide open. It was a tough loss for San Antonio which was coming off an impressive victory over the Utah Jazz last Friday.
Rudy Gay paced San Antonio with 14 points while Marco Belinelli added 13 markers for them. But their two main scorers played below par on Monday night as DeMar DeRozan was held to just 11 points while LaMarcus Aldridge scored just eight points. Dejounte Murray missed all of his seven shots and went scoreless for the Spurs.
San Antonio ranks 11th in the NBA in scoring at 113.0 points per game. They are 16th off the boards with an average of 45.1 rebounds per game and are also 13th in passing at 24.5 assists per game. The Spurs have the 9th worst scoring defense in the league at 114.6 points per game allowed.
Who Wins?
Dallas is 4-2 SU in their last six games played. The Mavericks are 3-2 SU in their last five games played on the road, and 2-4 SU in their last six games played against the Western Conference. San Antonio is 2-6 SU in their last eight games played. The Spurs are 7-8 SU in 15 home games against the Western Conference. Head to head, the Spurs are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games played against the Mavericks.
The Mavs have fallen to 7th place in the tough Western Conference but while they are 9.5 games behind the top-seeded Lakers, Dallas is just 2.5 games from the 4th seed and home-court advantage in Round 1 of the playoffs. Dallas has gotten Doncic and Porzingis back after minor injuries and they are looking to finish strong.
While Dallas is playing for positioning, the Spurs are still fighting for their playoff lives. San Antonio’s playoff record hangs in the balance right now and they still haven’t found the consistency we’ve seen from Popovich’s teams in the last two decades. The current Spurs team plays well in the first half and then fades in the third and fourth quarters.
Both teams need victories here and the Spurs may be more desperate right now. The Mavericks have an outstanding road record at 19-9 SU on the year while the Spurs are above .500 at home at 14-12. I think Dallas takes this though with Doncic and Porzingis healthy and well-rested after sitting out the 4th period against the Wolves.
Prediction: Dallas Mavericks
Other Bets to Make
The Mavericks are 4-2 ATS in their last six games played. Dallas is 3-2 ATS in their last five games played on the road, and 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games against the Southwest Division. The Spurs are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games played. San Antonio is 2-0 ATS in their last two games played at home, and 5-1 ATS in their last six games played against the Southwest Division. Head to head, the Mavericks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played against the Spurs. Dallas is 6-0 ATS in their last six road games in San Antonio.
Mavericks
-5 (-110)
Spurs
+5 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 02/26/20
The Spurs are at home here but this is certainly not like the San Antonio teams of previous years. The current team doesn’t play with the same consistency and they tend to play well in the opening half only to fade in the second half of their games. The Spurs are coming off a road trip where they struggled defensively. Dallas is going to be a problem with Doncic and Porzingis playing together.
Prediction: Mavericks -5
The total has gone over in eight out of the last nine games played by the Mavericks. Dallas has seen the total go over in four out of their last five games played on the road. The total has gone over in six out of the last seven games played by the Spurs. The over is 14-11-1 in San Antonio’s 26 home games played so far this season. Head to head, the total has gone under in four out of the last five games between these two teams.
Over
232 (-115)
Under
232 (-105)
Odds from BetOnline as of 02/26/20
San Antonio has allowed at least 120 points in three out of their last five outings. On the other hand, the Mavericks have hit a total of over 240 points in three out of their last five assignments. Both these teams are well outside the Top 10 in scoring defense and Dallas is the 3rd highest-scoring team in the league this season. I like these teams to hit the over.
Prediction: Over 232
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