Raptors vs. Mavericks Betting Line
Carrie Stroup here with your Raptors vs. Mavericks betting line for Tuesday night’s game.
TORONTO RAPTORS (37-19) at DALLAS MAVERICKS (38-20)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Dallas -4.5, Total: 204.0
The Raptors look to avoid losing a third straight game when they face the Mavericks in Dallas Tuesday.
The Raptors went into New Orleans on Monday and lost 100-97 as 7.5-point favorites. They’ve now lost both SU and ATS in each of their past two games and their offense has struggled, averaging just 86.5 PPG in those losses. Toronto will need to start putting up points if it is going to get back into the win column.
The Mavericks are coming off of a 92-81 home victory over the Hornets on Sunday. Dallas has won-and-covered in two straight games and the team is also 8-3 SU and 6-4-1 ATS in its past 11 contests. Earlier in the season, the Mavericks beat the Raptors 106-102 as a 4-point road favorite. Prior to that win for Dallas, Toronto had won three straight games SU over the Mavericks. The Raptors won-and-covered the last time they faced the Mavericks in Dallas, but they are still just 2-8 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 trips to American Airlines Center. Two straight games between these teams and eight of the past 10 played in Dallas have gone Over the total.
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Toronto is 23-11 ATS after having lost two of its past three games over the past two seasons. The team is also 20-9 ATS off of a road loss in that span. Dallas is 21-10 ATS when playing six or less games in 14 days over the past two seasons and 116-80 ATS off two or more consecutive home wins since 1996. PF Patrick Patterson (Knee) is questionable for the Raptors in this game and SF Chandler Parsons (Ankle) is expected to miss this game for the Mavericks.
The Raptors are coming off of a bad 100-97 loss against the Pelicans, as they were outscored 33-23 in the fourth quarter. PG Kyle Lowry (18.4 PPG, 7.1 APG, 4.6 RPG, 1.6 SPG) snapped out of his recent slump in the game, finishing with 22 points, five assists and three steals in 34 minutes of action. The last time Lowry faced Dallas, he had 25 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal in 32 minutes of action. Toronto needs him to score the basketball and he can’t afford to play how he did against Houston or Atlanta in the Raptors’ two games before losing to New Orleans.
One guy who was excellent against the Pelicans was C Jonas Valanciunas (12.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.2 BPG). The big man finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds, two steals and a block in 36 minutes of action. He’s going up against a talented Dallas frontcourt and will need to be effective on both ends of the floor.
SG DeMar DeRozan (18.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.4 SPG) has really struggled with his shot recently, scoring 17.2 PPG (38% FG, 25% 3PT) over his past five games but is not doing so efficiently. He needs to start knocking down jumpers or it’ll be much easier for teams to cover him.
SG Louis Williams (15.2 PPG) was not himself against the Pelicans on Monday. Williams had just nine points in 25 minutes against the Pelicans and is relied on to provide this team with offense off the bench. With the team really struggling to find the bottom of the net, the sixth man will have to get things going against the Mavericks and provide some instant offense.
The Mavericks are hot lately and a lot of that has to do with the play of C Tyson Chandler (10.7 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 1.3 BPG). Chandler has come back from his injury and really played well on the defensive end. He was perfect from the field against the Hornets, finishing with 12 points (6-for-6 FG), seven rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes. He’ll need to do a good job of defending Jonas Valanciunas in this game and he’ll also be relied on to provide his team with second chances on the offensive end.
SG Monta Ellis (19.5 PPG, 4.5 APG) finally ended his slump against the Hornets, finishing with 23 points and four assists in 37 minutes. It was Ellis’ first time scoring 20+ in the past five games and Dallas needs him to continue to score. He had 30 points and six assists in 36 minutes against the Raptors last game and his team can use a similar performance on Tuesday.
One guy who really needs to start playing better is PF Dirk Nowitzki (17.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG). Nowitzki had just eight points against the Hornets, but he did have 12 rebounds in the game. He has not shot the ball well lately though and that is a cause for concern for this team. The Mavericks needs their superstar to break out of his slump, as he has not scored 20 points in the past six games.
Fortunately for Dallas, PF Amar’e Stoudemire (12.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG) is going to be able to give this team some offense at the power forward position off the bench. Stoudemire was outstanding in his Mavericks debut, finishing with 14 points and three rebounds in just 11 minutes against Charlotte.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
