NBA Basketball Preview: Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers

Added on Mar 31, 2011 by Jack Thurman in

NBA

The second half on an excellent TNT doubleheader for Thursday features the defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers hosting the surging Dallas Mavericks at the Staples Center. Both teams in excellent form and trying to close in on San Antonio atop the Western Conference–Lakers are 3 1/2 games back of the Spurs while the Mavs are 4 games back.

Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers
March 31, 2011 7:35 PM Pacific

No problem with form in this matchup as both teams have been among the hottest in the league over the past month. On February 16 the Lakers lost their third straight game and the usual dim bulbs in the mainstream sports media were tripping over each other proclaiming the end of L.A.’s championship run. Not so fast–they’ve since won 15 of 16 SU with the only loss coming in a tough scheduling spot to a fired up Miami team trying to end their 5 game losing streak of early March. They’ve gone 10-5 ATS during that run but enter this game on a 1-4 ATS run despite having won 7 straight games SU.

Dallas is on a 26-6 SU run since Dirk Nowitzki returned from injury and have posted a 20-12 ATS record during that stretch. Mavs are playing their 4th road game in six days and are in the second of a back-to-back situation, but they’ve done well in two games in two days spots. In back to back games this year Dallas is 13-4 SU/12-5 ATS. Mavs have been very much a ‘momentum’ team this year and their success–both SU and ATS–has beget even more success. After 3 or more consecutive wins Dallas is 26-5 SU/21-9 ATS. They’ve also had their way with the Pacific Division this year going 13-1 SU/10-4 ATS. Their only Pacific Division loss this season came to the Lakers at home on March 12.

This Lakers’ team is fully capable of making another run to the NBA Finals, but in this matchup we’ll side with the road team. Lakers have won 3 of the last 4 meetings at the Staples Center, but the Mavs covered the spread in three of those four games. Los Angeles just 14-22 ATS at home this year and the longer a home stand continues the worse they are as an ‘investment’–they’re 2-7 ATS this year after 3 or more home games. An outright Dallas win wouldn’t be a shocking result, but we’re getting more than a half dozen points if they fall short.

Bet Dallas Mavericks +6′ over Los Angeles Lakers