The Toronto Raptors (51-17) put their 10-game winning streak on the line when they take on the Dallas Mavericks (22-46) at Air Canada Centre. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 16, 2018, and will air on The Sports Network.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 213 points with Toronto opening as a 12-point favorite.
Dallas Mavericks at Toronto Raptors Free Prediction
The Mavericks come in on a high note after beating the New York Knicks in their last outing, 110-97. Converting at the free throw line was one of Dallas’ largest advantages. They were 16-18 (88.9 percent), while the Knicks were 9-12 (75.0 percent). Dallas was lifted by Harrison Barnes, who was the top scorer from either team with 30 points on 10-for-19 shooting.
The last time the Raptors played, they beat the Indiana Pacers, 106-99. The Raptors knocked down 24 of their 28 free throws (85.7 percent) and had an offensive rebounding percentage of 44.2 (above their season average of 23.1). With 16 points and 17 rebounds, Jonas Valanciunas played well for Toronto.
When considering effective field goal percentage, Toronto figures to have a significant advantage. The elite Raptors offense ranks fifth in the league in that metric at 0.537, while the bottom-tier Dallas defense is ranked 22nd in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.532).
Dallas comes into the contest with records of 22-46 straight up (SU) and 35-33 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Mavericks games, with 37 unders compared to 30 overs.
Meanwhile, Toronto is 51-17 SU and 39-28 ATS. Contrary to Dallas, a little over half of Raptors games have finished over the total.
Valanciunas has averaged 17.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks over the last five games for Toronto.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. Maxi Kleber had 15 points, eight rebounds and five blocks in the first game, in which the Mavericks beat the Raptors 98-93, covering as 5.5-point underdogs. The game finished with a total of 191 points, which was 19.5 points below the projected point total of 210.5 points. Dallas’ effective field goal percentage was its biggest advantage over Toronto. The Mavericks had a rate of 0.457 while the Raptors posted a mark of 0.388.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Toronto Raptors Betting Pick
Free NBA Tip: SU Winner – Raptors, ATS Winner – Raptors, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Dallas is 18-14 ATS on the road with 18 unders and 14 overs.
Toronto is 19-14 ATS at home with 18 unders and 15 overs.
Toronto is 24-5 when they allow under 100 points, while Dallas is 15-11.
When reaching the century mark, the Raptors are 48-10 and the Mavericks are 16-22.
Toronto ranks second in blocks per game (6.0) while Dallas ranks 28th (3.7).
The Raptors rank sixth in points in the paint per game (48.4) while the Mavericks rank last (38.4).
Toronto ranks fifth in points off turnovers per game (18.0) while Dallas ranks 28th (14.7).
The Mavericks rank fourth in second chance points allowed per game (11.1) while the Raptors rank 24th (13.3).
Toronto ranks seventh in fast break points per game (14.0) while Dallas ranks 27th in fast break points allowed per game (14.2).
The Raptors rank second in three pointers allowed per game (25.2) while the Mavericks rank 17th (29.5).
Toronto ranks 13th in rebounds allowed per game (42.7) while Dallas ranks 26th (45.4).
The Raptors average 23.9 assists per game, which ranks seventh in the NBA. The Mavericks rank 13th in assists allowed per game (23.0).
Toronto ranks fourth in steals allowed per game (7.0) while Dallas ranks ninth (7.4).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Dallas is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Toronto is 4-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Mavericks have outscored opponents by an average of 3.6 points in their last five games. On the season, Dallas has lost by an average of 2.2 points.
During their last five games, the Raptors have scored an average of 116.6 points per game (4.4 above their season average) and allowed an average of 106.2 points per game (2.9 above their season average).
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