The Brooklyn Nets will be making their second stop on an eight-game road trip this Wednesday night when the pay a visit to the American Airlines Center to face the Dallas Mavericks. This inter-conference clash is set to get underway at 8 p.m. (ET), and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

The Nets hammered Detroit 119-82 on Monday night to kick things off as 4.5-point road favorites. They are now 17-14 both straight up and against the spread in 31 road games this season. The total went “over” the 191-point totals line against the Pistons, and it has now gone over in their last four games.

Dallas continues to try and keep its slim playoff hopes alive with seven SU wins in its last 10 games in a run that actually started with a 98-90 victory over Brooklyn as a three-point road underdog. The Mavericks are also 7-3 ATS during this stretch, and the total has gone 4-5-1.

Nets at Mavericks Betting Storylines

Brooklyn currently has a two-game lead over Atlanta for fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings with an overall record of 39-29 SU (31-33-3 ATS), and its trails Indiana by just two games for the second spot in the East. Heading into this extended road trip, the Nets remain fairly healthy with just Kris Humphries and Keith Bogans listed as questionable for Wednesday night.

Besides playing basically at full-strength, Brooklyn’s biggest asset coming into this matchup is a defense that is ranked fifth in the NBA in points allowed in giving up an average of just 94.4 points a game. Reggie Evan’s team-high 9.9 rebounds a game have helped the Nets also rank right up there as one of the best rebounding teams in the league with 42.7 a game. Brook Lopez remains the team’s leading scorer (18.7 points), but he has also been a force under the boards with 7.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks a game.

The Mavericks still have the ability to put the ball in the hoop with an average of 101.5 points a game, which is the seventh-highest total in the league. They have done a fairly good job under the boards with 42.1 rebounds a game. After missing most of the first half of the season while recovering from a knee injury, Dirk Nowitzki has regained his all-star form with an average of 16.4 points and 6.9 rebounds a game. OJ Mayo is scoring a team-high 16.8 points, while Shawn Marion is the leading rebounder with 7.9 a game.

The problem that has plagued Dallas all season long is its inability to slow opposing teams down on the other end of the court. They come into this contest ranked 27th in the NBA in points allowed after giving up an average of 102.1 points a game this season. The fact that Marion still remains questionable after missing the last six games with a calf strain has not helped the cause.

Nets at Mavericks NBA Betting Odds and Trends

BetOnline has opened the Mavericks as 3.5-point home favorites for this matchup with the “over/under” set at 198.

The Nets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight road games but just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games playing on one day’s rest. The total has stayed under in five of their last seven games following a SU win.

The Mavericks are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games at home and 5-1 ATS in their last six games against the Atlantic Division. The total has stayed under in four of its last five home games.

The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings between these two, and the total has stayed under in four of the last five games. Brooklyn is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 trips to Dallas.

Nets at Mavericks Picks and Betting Predictions

Beating Detroit on the road is one thing, but getting past a Dallas team that is finally playing to its potential is a whole other story. The Mavericks need this game much more than Brooklyn does right now, and it shows with a solid victory that easily covers the spread.

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Read more articles by Dave Schwab