DALLAS MAVERICKS VS. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS ODDS & PREDICTIONS FOR FEBRUARY 27, 2024

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap from tonight’s slate features the Dallas Mavericks (33-24 SU, 30-27 ATS) taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers (37-19 SU, 28-26-2 ATS).

Here is a look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

• When: Tuesday, February 27, 2024
  
• Time: 7:00 PM ET
  
• Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
  
• Location: Cleveland, Ohio
  
• TV: BSOH, BSSW

Dallas Mavericks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Odds (Via DraftKings)

Dallas Mavericks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Mavericks Bounce Back Following A Disappointing Outing Against The Pacers?

Dallas Mavericks Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 118.6 PPG – 7TH              
• Offensive Efficiency: 118.2 points per 100 possessions – 12TH                   
• Scoring Defense: 117.4 PPG – 19TH                 
• Defensive Efficiency: 117.0 points per 100 possessions – 21ST       

The Dallas Mavericks currently occupy the No. 8 spot out west and they have produced seven wins in their last 10 outings. They recently saw their seven-game winning streak snapped with a 133-111 loss to the Indiana Pacers. 

Luka Doncic — who leads the league in scoring — set the tone for the Mavericks. He finished with a stat line of 33 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Doncic also shot 4-for-8 from beyond the arc and recorded two blocked shots.

Kyrie Irving added 29 points, six rebounds and two assists. Josh Green contributed 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field along with five rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots. 

Dallas had a tough time slowing down the Pacers’ offense, as the team shot 55.9 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc. 

“Give them credit,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said after the game. “They were making shots. We’ll learn from it. We had 15 assists, the lowest of the season. Haliburton caused us a problem driving. Turner, he kind of finds his way to top of the key or the 3-point line. He was wide open, so we have to do better.”

Dallas hopes to get back on track with a win on the first stop of a four-game road trip.

Can The Cavaliers’ Second-Ranked Defense Contain Luka Doncic And Kyrie Irving?

Cleveland Cavaliers Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 114.4 PPG – 16TH      
• Offensive Efficiency: 116.4 points per 100 possessions – 16TH             
• Scoring Defense: 109.2 PPG – 2ND              
• Defensive Efficiency: 111.1 points per 100 possessions – 2ND        

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have ascended to the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference. Like the Mavericks, Cleveland has also posted seven wins in its last 10 outings. 

Although the Cavaliers have dropped three of their last five contests, they recently snapped a two-game losing streak with a 114-105 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday night. 

Jarrett Allen scored a team-high 22 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and handed out five assists. 

Evan Mobley added 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field. He also collected six rebounds and five blocked shots. Darius Garland contributed 17 points and seven assists, while Donovan Mitchell finished with 16 points, five assists, and four rebounds. 

Although the Wizards have the second-worst record in the association, they overcame an 11-point deficit in the third quarter and led by six points in the final frame (94-88) before eventually bowing out. 

“I thought we just need to be better. I don’t think we played to our standard tonight,” Cavaliers coach Bickerstaff said via CBS Sports. “I expected more fire from our group after losing two games in a row and having an opportunity to play another one. We’ve got to get back to playing with that spirit the way we played before the break.

“We’ve got some tough stretches coming up here, but we’ve got to be better. I’ve got to do a better job of getting guys ready to play and our players have to do a better job as well.”

Now that we have set the table for this matchup, let’s look at the betting trends for both sides.

The Picks

The Spread

The Cavaliers opened as a consensus 2.5-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line climbed to 4.5 points for the home team (per OddShark.com). Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season. 

• The Mavericks are 6-2 ATS in their last eight contests.
• Dallas is 6-3 ATS in its last nine matchups against the Cavaliers. 
• The Mavericks have covered the spread in each of their last five road matchups against Cleveland.
• In their last 14 games as the underdogs by three points or more, the Mavericks have an ATS record of 6-8.
• In its last six games against Central Division opponents, Dallas is just 1-5 against the spread.
• The Cavaliers are a woeful 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall.
• Cleveland is just 1-5 ATS in its last six home games against the Mavericks.
• In their last 13 outings against Southwest Division teams, the Cavaliers are 9-4 against the spread. 

Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers (-4.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 234 points. The line has recently moved to 232.5 points (per Pre-Game.com). Here is why going with the “under” is the smart choice. 

• The total has gone UNDER eight times in the Mavericks’ last 10 games.
• The UNDER total is 4-1 in Dallas’ last five road contests.
• In the Mavericks’ last six home games against Eastern Conference opponents, the UNDER total hit five times.
• The UNDER total has prevailed six times in the Cavaliers’ last eight games.
• The total has gone UNDER four times in Cleveland’s last five matchups against Dallas.
• In the Cavaliers’ last 12 games they have played in February, the UNDER total cashed in nine times.
• The last 11 times in which Cleveland played as the favorite, the UNDER total prevailed eight times.
• Offensively, the two teams average a combined 233 points per contest. That is half a point higher than the projected points total for this matchup.
• From a defensive standpoint, Dallas and Cleveland allow 226.6 points per game, which is nearly six points less than the over/under total for this matchup. 

Prediction: UNDER 232.5 points

Player Prop Bets

My key player to watch for the road team is Kyrie Irving. He currently has -105 odds of scoring more than 26.5 points and -125 odds of finishing with less than 26.5 points.

Here is a glance to see how his numbers compare to the projected points total for this matchup. 

• Irving played against the Sacramento Kings 10 times during his career.  In those contests, he has averaged 24.9 points per contest. 
• During the season, Irving is averaging 25.7 points per outing. 
• In 15 road contests this season, he is averaging 23.4 PPG.
• Irving has played against Eastern Conference teams 12 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 26.2 points per outing.
• In four appearances on Tuesday nights this season, Irving is averaging 28.3 points per game.
• Over his last 10 outings, Irving is averaging 25.3 points per game, while exceeding the points total for this matchup five times during that stretch.

Given the above trends, going with the “over” for Irving is the smart choice here.

Prediction: Kyrie Irving OVER 26.5 points

The key player to watch for the home team is Donovan Mitchell. He currently has -115 odds of scoring more than 25.5 points and -115 odds of finishing with less than 25.5 points. 

Let us look closer to see how his numbers stack up against the projected points total for this matchup. 

• In 16 career games against the Dallas Mavericks, Mitchell is averaging 22.2 points per game. 
• On the season, Mitchell is averaging 28.1 points per outing.
• In 22 home contests, he is averaging 30.3 points per game.

• Mitchell has played against Western Conference teams 14 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 27.4 points per outing.
• In four matchups against Southwest Division opponents, Mitchell is averaging 27.5 points per game.
• Over his last 10 outings, Mitchell has averaged 29.4 points per contest, exceeding the points total for this matchup eight times during that stretch.

Based on his body of work, I would say it is safe to go with the “over” for Mitchell. 

Prediction: Donovan Mitchell OVER 25.5 points

James Tillman’s Dallas Mavericks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Picks

• The Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers (-4.5)
• Over/Under: UNDER 232.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #1: Kyrie Irving OVER 26.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #2: Donovan Mitchell OVER 25.5 points