Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets
Monday, 3/19/12, 10:30 PM EST, TV: TNT
Opening Point Spread: Denver -4
Current Betting Line: Denver -4
Opening Total: 201.5
Current Total: 202.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Dallas swept its recent three-game homestand and will now play one game in the Mile High City before returning to the Lone Star State to host the Lakers on Wednesday. The Mavericks tallied an impressive 106-99 win over the San Antonio Spurs as three-point favorites last time out, while going “over” the total in five consecutive games. “Everybody stepped up. Everybody came to play,” commented Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd. The team is 8-13 on the road, including a 5-11 mark versus Western Conference opponents. Dallas is 4-1 ATS as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points and the “under” is 3-2 in that situation.
The Mavericks have won two of three meetings with the Nuggets this year, including a 105-95 win as one-point road underdogs inside the Pepsi Center on Feb. 8. Dallas ranks third in the league in averaging 42.2 bench points per game, but is still led by forward Dirk Nowitzki, who is scoring 20.5 points per game. He is coming off a 27-point performance and has hit that number in three consecutive contests.
Denver has alternated wins and losses over its last seven games, capturing a 98-91 win over the Boston Celtics as six-point home favorites on Saturday. The Nuggets are surprisingly just 14-11 at home this season, including an 8-10 mark versus Western Conference foes. Forward Danilo Gallinari is averaging 18.0 points and shooting 47.2 percent from the floor over the past three games, which is a welcoming sign due to totaling just 18 points in the previous four contests. Denver is 3-6 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points and the “under” is 7-2 in those games.
The Nuggets are 11-6 against the Mavericks since the 2007-08 season, as they look to even the 2011-12 series at two games apiece. Denver’s victory over Boston isn’t that surprising when considering the franchise is 57-10 in home games against Eastern Conference teams over the past four-plus years. Rookie Kenneth Faried has really been coming on of late, grabbing a career-high 16 rebounds versus the Celtics. He is averaging 9.0 points and 7.3 rebounds on the year.
Bettors will likely back the Nuggets due to their 16-7 ATS mark in the last 23 meetings, while the Mavericks are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games.
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