Back the Dallas Mavericks Thursday night at home in a rematch of last year's Finals versus the Miami Heat.
I'm laying the points with Dallas on Thursday. When the Mavs are at home, we either play on them or pass the game altogether. After all, they're 24-3 straight up, with an average home final of 102-90!
The only reason they're not better than 15-11 against the spread at home is due to the fact that they're installed as double-digit chalk quite often. But tonight, they're laying single-digits. After starting the season 0-4 straight up/against the spread, (two home, two road), Dallas has been outstanding at home when laying less than 10 points. Since November 14, they're 13-1 straight up, 10-4 against the spread in that role, including 7-0 straight up, 6-1 against the spread as single-digit chalk since December 9.
Even though the Mavs beat Miami in South Florida earlier this season, they're still in payback mode for last year's Finals loss. They're also out to prove they're the best team in the league. Meanwhile, the injury bug continues to haunt Miami. Dwayne Wayne suffered a dislocated shoulder in last night's game at Houston and he's not expected to be with the team tonight. With a chip on their shoulder, we'll back Dallas minus points on Thursday.