Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks

Betting Odds

Dallas (-1)
Game Total Line:(193)
(wagering lines available at Sportsbook.com)

Los Angeles (46-20, 32-34 ATS) had been rolling before running into the Miami Heat on Thursday. The Lakers lost 94-88, ending an eight-game winning streak. Despite losing and failing to cover, the Lakers are a very impressive 7-2 in their past nine games against the spread.

The Lakers’ winning streak came thanks to some spectacular defense. During the eight-game run, Los Angeles allowed just 87 points per game. It held its opponents to less than 90 points six times in that span, which obviously wasn’t the case against Miami. In fact, the Lakers “D” allowed the Heat to score the team’s final six points.

A big reason for the defensive prowess has been the play of center Andrew Bynum. Bynum has turned up his game since the All-Star break and is hauling down 12.1 rebounds per game over his last nine outings. Bynum finished with 13 points and 12 boards against the Heat.

In one interesting twist, Kobe Bryant apparently decided he needs work at the other end of the floor. Bryant—who went 8-for-21 with 24 points against Miami—reappeared on the floor after the game and wound up shooting for over an hour. Bryant said he wanted to work on some things and stayed out past midnight Eastern time. He’s averaging 25.4 points and shooting 43 percent from the field in his last five starts.

After enjoying a 17-2 run, Dallas (47-18, 34-29-2 ATS) has lost two of its last four games. The Mavericks came through with a 127-109 win over the Knicks on Thursday, though. More importantly, the Mavs ended a four-game losing streak against the spread.

The Mavericks rolled up 72 points by halftime, as Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry each finished with 20-plus points. Nowitzki has been very consistent, finishing with at least 21 points in 10 consecutive games; he dropped 23 points and added nine rebounds against the Knicks.

The Lakers have dominated the head-to-head series between these teams, going 7-3 in the past 10 games. The Mavericks have held the edge against the spread, however, taking a 6-4 lead over the same span. Dallas won 109-100 at home in the only meeting between the clubs this season. The total went over for the third time in the last three games between L.A. and Dallas; Sportsbook.com has set the total for Saturday’s game at 193 points.

Point Spread Pick

Sure the Mavs have played lights out basketball as of late with a meager 3 points being the only thing in the way of a 23 game winning streak. However, Dallas is playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and even though both losses were by one point they did lose 2 of their past 4 games. The Lakers have been playing well with 8 straight wins before losing to the Heat.
Take the Lakers +1 at SportsInteraction and grab a free $125 to bet!