Dallas Mavericks at Chicago Bulls

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Chicago Bulls (-3.5)
Game Total Line: (183)
(wagering lines available at Sportsbook.com)

Dallas (26-15) is coming off a victory against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. Dallas has been miserable, going 1-6 in its past seven games. Considering the team started 24-5 this season, the recent slump has been a major disappointment.

Injuries helped kick off the skid. First, Caron Butler was lost for the season. Butler was averaging 15.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, numbers that have been difficult to replace.

The Mavs also lost the heart of the team, Dirk Nowitzki, for a nine-game stretch. Nowitzki is back in the lineup but he's not going to be able to carry this team on his own. Jason Terry is the only other Maverick who is contributing anything significant, and it's hurting the team. In a 103-89 loss to Detroit on Monday, for example, Terry and Nowitzki combined for 50 points; the other three starters managed just 10 points on 4-19 shooting.

Chicago (28-14, 24-17-1 ATS) had a three-game winning streak snapped by Tuesday's 83-82 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bulls had also won three straight games against the spread. Despite the loss, they are 5-2 ATS in their past seven outings.

The Charlotte loss was just a small bump in the road. Chicago is understandably tired after playing four games in five days, and 10 games in 15 days. The team was also shorthanded; Joakim Noah is still out after November thumb surgery, and Boozer missed the game with a sprained ankle.

Boozer has missed the past two games, but Taj Gibson has done a nice job in his place. While he hasn't been as active on the scoreboard, he's been just about everywhere else. Gibson played an incredible 90 of a possible 96 minutes over the last two games, racking up a whopping 12 blocks in those contests. His defense has been key for Chicago this year.

Chicago beat the Mavericks 88-83 in Dallas earlier this season. It improved Chicago to 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games against the Mavs (though the Bulls are just 3-7 straight up). The total went under for the first time in four games; BetED has set the total for Thursday's game at 183 points.

Point Spread Pick

Scoring has been the Mavericks undoing during their rough streak; losers 9 of 11 before last night's victory over the Lakers where they put up triple digits. It was only one game, but certainly a step in the right direction. While neither of these teams could be considered scoring machines the line is on the low side. In fact the 183 opener is the lowest total on a Dallas game this season.
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