Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Dallas Mavericks December 14 Betting Preview

The Cleveland Cavaliers (17-11) could not get it done over the lowly San Antonio Spurs, as their lead for the third seed in the Eastern Conference is shrinking.

The Dallas Mavericks (14-13) were able to take care of business against another bottom dweller in the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview

In order for the Cavs to live up to their fullest potential this season, not only do they need to prove that they can beat other contending teams, but they also need to take care of the easy games that come up on their schedule.

They did not do that on Monday against the San Antonio Spurs, which didn’t sit right with Donovan Mitchell.

“We played their record and not the team,” Mitchell said. “They are a talented group. When they get going, they get comfortable, and we didn’t respect that coming out, and that’s on us. That can’t happen.”

Mitchell at least showed up to play, as he finished with 28 points. Backcourt mate Darius Garland added 18 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds,

Caris LeVert came off the bench to drop 23 points. Evan Mobley chipped in 17 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists.

The Cavs will be streaky offensively, but their calling card has been defense, as they rank toward the top of the league in the defensive rating metric.

Dallas Mavericks Betting Preview

The Mavericks have been struggling to live up to expectations this season, as we’ve seen several instances of a frustrated Luka Doncic.

However, their most recent win against the Oklahoma City Thunder could prove to be a turning point, as it got them over .500.

Doncic went off for 38 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, as he continues to put up video game numbers.

Spencer Dinwiddie put up 20 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 20 points.

The Mavs have proven that they will get hot offensively and can keep up with other teams across the league. On the flip side, just last season, they were one of the better defensive teams in the league.

However, it’s been a struggle for them to find consistency on either end of the floor, as their chances to win a championship this season are in doubt after coming into the season with such high hopes.

It’ll be up to Doncic to try and right the ship this season in Dallas.

Odds

The Mavs are favored by a -2 spread, as they’re looking to build momentum following their most recent win.

The Cavs, on the other hand, hope that they can avenge their disappointing loss on Monday and prove that they’re still a legitimate championship contender.

This game could very well come down to the wire, but expect the Mavs, being at home, to have the slight advantage.