Cavaliers vs. Mavericks Odds, Picks, Predictions: Cavs Have Edge in Frontcourt
The Cavaliers are starting to plateau a little, winning just two of their last five whilst tipped as the favored team. Now, Cleveland is an underdog for the first time since Nov. 28 against Toronto.
Dallas is starting to play some better basketball, though it didn’t rise to the occasion against the Bucks or Bulls. This is yet another chance for the Mavericks to announce they are finally a force to be reckoned with in 2022.
Here is our best Cavaliers vs. Mavericks NBA pick (odds via PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
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Cavaliers vs. Mavericks Game Info
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 14, 9 p.m. ET.
TV: NBA League Pass
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Cavaliers vs. Mavericks Odds
Cavaliers vs. Mavericks Odds Analysis
The Mavericks were 2.5-point favorites on the consensus line when the betting opened here. You can still find the 2.5 points at -115 if you look hard enough, but across the board this number is now down to two points. DraftKings is reporting that just 26% of the tickets on the spread here have come in on Cleveland, but 34% of the money is on the road team.
The total has been pretty wildly split here, with 86% of the bets and 72% of the money on the Over which has risen to 216 at DraftKings, and that’s the high end of the spectrum. The opening number was 213.5 and that is long gone.
Cavaliers vs. Mavericks Pick
Cavaliers +2 ★★★★★
We can discuss the merits of odds shopping for this game in just a second, but I’m going to grab the two points here with Cleveland in a game which I believe they will win.
It felt like the Mavericks were about to go on a run just a week and a half ago, but they’re right back to being a terrible team to bet on. Dallas is now 8-17-2 against the spread in all games this season and as the favorite they’re 6-14-1 ATS.
One of the common themes we’ve seen with the Mavericks in recent losses to the Bulls and Bucks is their continued inability to rebound the ball and get stops inside. Yes, Giannis Antetokounmpo is a hard man to guard around the rim, but Jrue Holiday and Bobby Portis scored with ease around the restricted area. Nikola Vucevic, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan tormented this team inside.
Cleveland has been one of the best teams in basketball at scoring inside with a 60.1% field goal percentage inside of 10 feet. It has a collection of slashers that will spell trouble for Dallas as well as Jarrett Allen. I’m still not totally sold on this Mavericks offense outside of Luka Doncic and I can say with confidence that the Cavaliers will do a good job defensively on him with the likes of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.
Cavaliers vs. Mavericks Best Odds
PointsBet (-107)
| PointsBet | BetMGM | FanDuel | DraftKings | Caesars |
| +2 (-107) | +2.5 (-115) | +2.5 (-114) | +2.5 (-115) | +1.5 (-110) |
You can go over to BetMGM here and get the Cavaliers as 2.5-point underdogs at -115 and you can pay -114 for that line over at FanDuel. I’m choosing to take the discount on the vig here and get the two points at -107 over at PointsBet.
This is a game I think the Cavaliers will win, and with that I do think my favorite way to play it is the +110 odds on the moneyline over at FanDuel, which is the best number on the board. With that said, this is a Mavericks home game and it could be a dramatic conclusion.
Where to Bet on Cavaliers vs. Mavericks
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Cavaliers vs. Mavericks picks made 12/14/22 at 12 p.m. ET
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