NBA Predictions: 76ers at Mavericks Odds and Picks
by Dave Schwab - 11/18/2013
The Philadelphia 76ers will try and get back to .500 on the season when they square off against the Dallas Mavericks this Monday night at the American Airlines Center. Tip off for this inter-conference clash is set for 8:30 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.
The 76ers’ current losing streak reached two games with Saturday’s lopsided 135-98 loss to New Orleans as 8.5-point underdogs on the road. This followed a 113-103 road loss to Atlanta last Friday as 8.5-point underdogs as well. They are now 1-3 straight up on the road this season and 2-2 against the spread. The total has gone “over” in eight of 11 games on the year.
Dallas has gone 3-1 SU in its last four games and a profitable 4-0 ATS. This past Saturday they knocked off Orlando 108-100 as a 2.5-point road favorite. They are now 6-4 SU overall and 7-3 ATS. The total has gone over in seven of their first 10 games.
76ers at Mavericks Betting Storylines
This young Philadelphia squad has shown early signs of being a legitimate playoff contender this season with solid victories over Miami, Chicago and Houston, but they have also struggled with consistency, especially on the road. The 76ers are ranked eighth in the league in scoring with 104.5 points a game, which is a dramatic shift from the past few seasons. Unfortunately they are ranked dead last on defense, allowing an average of 111.1 points a game.
The Sixers have five different players scoring in double-figures, led by Evan Turner’s 21.6 points a game. Rookie Michael Carter-Williams has made an early splash with 17.4 points and a team-high 7.6 assists, but he remains “questionable” for Monday night with a sore foot. Overall the team is shooting 45.7 percent from the field but just 33.9 percent from three-point range.
Dallas has been a perennial playoff team over the years, but they failed to make the postseason last year with a record of 41-41. So far this season they is headed in the right direction with a solid start. This is another squad that loves to light up the scoreboard with an average of 106.6 points, which is ranked fourth in the league. They have also struggled to keep opposing teams from doing the same by allowing 103.6 points on the other end of the court.
The Mavericks have a potent combination of scorers in Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki, who are combining for more than 41 points a game. Vince Carter continues to be productive with 12 points a game off the bench, and Shawn Marion is chipping in another 11.9 points and a team-high 8.1 rebounds. Dallas is hitting 46.9 percent of their shots from the floor and 40.1 percent from beyond the arc.
76ers at Mavericks NBA Betting Tends and Futures Odds
BetOnline has opened the Mavericks as 12.5-point home favorites with the total line set at 214.
The 76ers are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games following a SU loss but just 5-13 ATS in their last 18 games against the Southwest Division. The total has gone over in their last six road games.
The Mavericks are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games and 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against a team from the Atlantic Division. The total has gone over in 10 of their last 15 home games.
Head-to-head in this matchup, the road team is 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings, and the total has stayed “under” in eight of the last 11 games. Philadelphia is 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games against Dallas.
NBA Predictions: Philadelphia at Dallas Betting Picks
This game presents a good opportunity to go against a young Sixers’ team that is still trying to learn how to win games on the road. However, this matchup presents a better opportunity to cash in on the total line with a play on the over despite the inflated line.
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