NBA Betting Info. 2/1

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Preview: Detroit At Brooklyn
When: 7:30 PM ET, Monday, February 1, 2016
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Too many times this season it has seemed like Brook Lopez is out on an island by himself for the Brooklyn Nets. The lowly Nets will try to give their talented center more help when they host the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
Lopez collected 33 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three steals on Saturday but Brooklyn could not quite get over the hump in a 105-103 loss at the New Orleans Hornets. Lopez managed 28 of the team’s 79 points in a loss at Dallas the previous night and has recorded four straight double-doubles, only one of which came in a victory. Lopez will have his hands full on both ends against Pistons center Andre Drummond, who was named to his first All-Star team on Thursday. Drummond is a notoriously bad free-throw shooter and went 1-of-9 from the line on Saturday as Detroit fell just short at Toronto in a 111-107 setback.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (25-23): Drummond’s free-throw woes were not the biggest problem that had to do with fouls for Detroit against the Raptors. The Pistons struggled to keep anyone in front of them on the defensive end and ended up sending Toronto to the line 47 times (35-of-47) in the loss after Cleveland torched them at the stripe for 27-of-29 in a 114-106 setback on Friday. “It starts with not being able to contain people off the dribble,” Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters. “We’re just fouling too much and it’s something we haven’t done all year.”
ABOUT THE NETS (12-36): Brooklyn has dropped three straight and 13 of the last 15 and has only the Philadelphia 76ers keeping it off the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Forward Thaddeus Young has been a nice compliment to Lopez up front, but the Nets’ backcourt production is inconsistent. Starting point guard Donald Sloan collected two points and three assists on Saturday, one night after backup point guard Shane Larkin failed to score in 18 minutes off the bench at Dallas.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pistons F Ersan Ilyasova (groin) sat out on Saturday and is day-to-day.
2. Nets SG Wayne Ellington is 9-of-18 from 3-point range in the last three games.
3. The home team has taken each of the first two meetings this season, and Lopez went for 15 points, nine rebounds and six blocks in Brooklyn’s victory on Nov. 29.
PREDICTION: Pistons 103, Nets 96

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Preview: Dallas At Atlanta
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, February 1, 2016
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
The Atlanta Hawks are faltering with five losses in six games and look to reverse course when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. Atlanta was routed 105-87 by the Miami Heat on Sunday after losing by 19 points against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.
Hawks All-Star power forward Paul Millsap scored 17 points against Miami despite an ankle injury and he views the team’s slump as part of the ups and downs of an NBA campaign. “You have times like this during a season,” Millsap told reporters. “I feel like we are struggling because we are trying to do the right thing, trying to make the right plays and trying to be perfect. That’s putting a lot of pressure on us.” Dallas allowed an average of 78.5 points while posting consecutive wins over Brooklyn and Phoenix and has won three of its past four games. The Mavericks rested power forward Dirk Nowitzki for the 91-78 win over the lowly Suns on the front end of a back-to-back so he would be fresh for the Hawks.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (28-22): Point guard Deron Williams stepped up with Nowitzki resting and scored 27 points against the Suns, just three shy of his season high. “Everybody knows when Dirk is out we have to step up a little bit and fill his void scoring the basketball,” Williams told reporters. “I was able to do that a little bit.” One player who has been scoring consistently is small forward Chandler Parsons, who is averaging 22.1 points with four 20-point outings during the last eight games.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (27-22): There are 33 regular-season contests remaining and Atlanta already has matched last season’s number of losses when it won 60 games as the top team in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks scored only 34 first-half points against the Heat while digging a 13-point deficit as the recent downturn continued. “We’re trying to find ourselves right now and there isn’t really much going our way,” forward Kent Bazemore told reporters. “It is just a tough time right now. We just got to stick with it. It’s just not our time right now, and we got to deal with it.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Hawks have won the past four meetings, including a 98-95 road victory Dec. 9.
2. Dallas SG Wesley Matthews is averaging 6.8 points on 10-of-36 shooting during a four-game funk.
3. Atlanta SG Kyle Korver missed all six shots in a scoreless outing against Miami and is 2-of-15 shooting in the past two games.
PREDICTION: Hawks 98, Mavericks 95

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Preview: Memphis At New Orleans
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, February 1, 2016
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
The Memphis Grizzlies have moved a season-best eight games above .500 and play another team that is on a roll when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. Memphis has won three consecutive games and nine of its last 11 while New Orleans has won two straight contests and seven of its past nine.
The Grizzlies are thriving on offense with eight consecutive 100-point outings, which matches the longest streak in franchise history. Backup forward Jeff Green has been superb with a 26.7 average on 63.3 percent shooting over the past three games and scored 29 points in Saturday’s 121-177 win over the Sacramento Kings. New Orleans is 5-1 on a seven-game homestand and posted a 105-103 victory over the lowly Brooklyn Nets on Saturday when point guard Jrue Holiday hit a 15-footer with 1.3 seconds to play. “All of them are not going to be pretty wins,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. “All of them are not going to be exactly as you want them to be, but any win is a good win. In 27 years, I’ve never had a bad win in the NBA.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Memphis), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (28-20): Memphis has a recent pattern of strong starts and the victory over Sacramento also was along those lines as the Grizzlies led 36-22 after one quarter – shooting 65.2 percent from the field and holding the Kings to 38.1. “We would like to but it’s not always going to be like that,” center Marc Gasol told reporters. “We’re not always going to score 65 percent of our shots in the first quarter. On the other hand, we have to try to get the other team under 20 (points).” Gasol had a solid all-around effort against Sacramento with 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (18-28): Holiday not only made big shots down the stretch against the Nets, he continued his recent torrid play with 26 points and seven assists in just 24 minutes. He has taken advantage of increased playing time due to Tyreke Evans’ knee woes – the versatile guard has missed the past two games – and is averaging 27.7 points and eight assists over the past three games, and he averaged 18 points and seven assists in January. “He took big shots, he’s Jrue Holiday … it’s nothing new for him,” power forward Anthony Davis told reporters. “That’s the good thing about him too. He doesn’t care if he starts. He just wants to be in the game and that’s what counts.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Grizzlies won both of this season’s prior meetings behind Gasol, who scored a career-high 38 points in the first victory and is averaging 27 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and 2.5 blocks.
2. New Orleans has made 10 or more 3-pointers in each of the past seven games.
3. Memphis SF Matt Barnes is 5-of-20 shooting over the past three games.
PREDICTION: Pelicans 106, Grizzlies 101

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Preview: Washington At Oklahoma City
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, February 1, 2016
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Russell Westbrook and the surging Oklahoma City Thunder put a variety of winning streaks on the line when they host the Washington Wizards on Monday. Westbrook stayed red-hot with his sixth triple-double of the season (26 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds) in a 116-108 win over Houston on Friday.
The Thunder have won three in a row, six straight at home and six consecutive over the Wizards at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Washington also is coming off a win over the Rockets, surviving a 123-122 affair in Houston on Saturday, when John Wall flirted with a triple-double of his own with 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Due to a postponement because of Winter Storm Jonas and a three-game losing streak, it was the Wizards’ first victory in a span of 10 days. Westbrook’s first triple-double of the season came at Washington in a 125-101 win on Nov. 10, while Wall was limited to nine points on 4-of-13 shooting in a one-sided matchup between the star point guards.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (21-24): While Wall led the way against Houston, Washington put forth an incredibly balanced attack with eight players scoring between 10 and 19 points. The bench had four of those double-digit scorers and combined for 55 points on 20-of-29 shooting. The Wizards possess eight players averaging at least 8.5 points after just five got to that mark last season.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (36-13): Westbrook is making a push toward his first campaign with an assist average of 10 or more, bumping his number to 9.9 after the 14 helpers versus Houston. “It’s part of my job, man,” Westbrook told reporters. “Just trying to find guys, getting the ball where they can score, keep the pace up.” The Thunder have won their last eight games in which Westbrook handed out at least 10 assists, and fellow superstar Kevin Durant is averaging 29.4 points in those affairs.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Oklahoma City C Enes Kanter is averaging 22.5 points and 10 rebounds in 24.5 minutes over the last two games.
2. Wall is averaging 15.3 points in nine career contests against Oklahoma City – his lowest mark against a Western Conference opponent – while shooting 31.5 percent, lower than against any NBA foe.
3. Thunder SG Dion Waiters is averaging 15.3 points in three starts since taking over for the injured Andre Roberson.
PREDICTION: Thunder 118, Wizards 105

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Preview: Orlando At San Antonio
When: 8:30 PM ET, Monday, February 1, 2016
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
The Orlando Magic halted a long skid and their reward is the opportunity to visit the angry San Antonio Spurs on Monday. Orlando ended an eight-game losing streak with a 119-114 victory over Boston on Sunday while the Spurs were outclassed 117-103 by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
San Antonio has dropped two of three games after winning 14 straight and the first of those defeats was a 120-90 beat down against the Golden State Warriors. The Spurs had only lost two games by double digits all season before falling to the Warriors and Cavaliers by an average of 22 points. The Magic went 2-12 in January after a surprisingly good 19-13 start and lost by double digits five times during the month. Orlando has struggled against the Spurs in recent seasons, losing eight straight since last prevailing 123-101 on Dec. 23, 2010.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Orlando), FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (21-25): Orlando’s offense was stellar in the win over Boston and put 72 second-half points on the board while halting its skid. “We needed any win we could get,” Magic coach Scott Skiles told reporters. “We’ve struggled so much recently that I’m just happy we battled through it. I would like to close it out better in the last minute in a more professional manner by knocking down free throws and not fouling shooters, but we’ll take it.” Backup guard Evan Fournier had his best outing of the month with 24 points on 6-of-8 shooting – including 4-of-5 from 3-point range – and 8-of-11 from the free-throw line.
ABOUT THE SPURS (39-8): Center Tim Duncan will miss his fourth straight game and fifth in the past sixth with a right knee injury and San Antonio has been reluctant to release the severity. But coach Gregg Popovich had no issues with using Duncan’s absence against Cleveland for the reason why his squad played so poorly. “Everybody else knows how to operate based on where he is and what he does,” Popovich told reporters. “That’s my biggest concern with the game really is him not being there for everybody to move around because he’s the center of what goes on defensively. Timmy’s not the most amazing athlete in the world, but he still protects the rim very, very well, and as I said, provides the center of the universe for us down there.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Magic are 4-23 at San Antonio, including losses in each of the past six visits.
2. The Spurs lead the NBA in scoring defense at 91.2 but allowed an average of 112 over their past three games.
3. Orlando PF Aaron Gordon matched his career best of 19 points and collected a career-high 14 rebounds in Sunday’s victory.
PREDICTION: Spurs 105, Magic 92

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Preview: Toronto At Denver
When: 9:00 PM ET, Monday, February 1, 2016
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
The Toronto Raptors are quietly turning into one of the best teams in the NBA. The Raptors will try to extend their franchise-record winning streak to 12 straight when they open up a six-game road trip by visiting the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
The Raptors already eclipsed their previous franchise-record winning streak of nine and are now going after the longest winning streak in major Toronto sports history. Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays have reached 11 straight wins five times, including twice last season, but have never managed to earn a 12th. The Nuggets missed out on a chance at a winning three-game road trip when they suffered a 109-105 overtime loss at Indiana on Saturday and have dropped five of their last seven. Denver was at home for eight straight games prior to the just-completed trip and dropped three of the final four contests in that stretch.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One (Toronto), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (32-15): Toronto had to hold off the Detroit Pistons in a 109-105 victory on Saturday and was disappointed in its fourth-quarter effort. “You give up 35 points, the turnovers, lack of focus,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey told reporters. “Human nature takes over down the stretch. It’s not winning basketball and I think our guys understand that now. They appreciate the win but understand that’s not how you close out a game.” When the shots aren’t falling Toronto attacks, and the team went 35-of-47 at the free-throw line in edging out the Pistons.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (18-30): Denver coach Mike Malone has taken his players to task at times this season for poor execution and spotty effort but was ready to take all the blame after Saturday’s loss. “A team’s ability to execute late under pressure starts with me as head coach,” Malone told reporters. “I thought our execution was poor. Did not get clean looks, did not run the right sets. We ran the wrong plays coming out of the huddle a few times.” The defensive execution is not great of late as well, with the team surrendering an average of 111.4 points in the last eight games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors backup PG Cory Joseph is averaging 12.3 points on 21-of-34 shooting in the last four games.
2. Nuggets F Danilo Gallinari scored 20 or more points in 12 of 15 January games.
3. Denver squeezed out a 106-105 win at Toronto on Dec. 4, behind 21 points from Gallinari.
PREDICTION: Raptors 101, Nuggets 99

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Preview: Chicago At Utah
When: 9:00 PM ET, Monday, February 1, 2016
Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
The Chicago Bulls are experiencing a rough stretch and look to end the struggles when they visit the Utah Jazz on Monday. Chicago was trounced 120-93 by the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday for its eighth loss in the past 12 games.
The Bulls are 1-1 on a seven-game road trip and were embarrassed when they were outscored 69-46 in the second half by the Clippers. “We’re trying to play our best ball up until the All-Star break,” point guard Derrick Rose told reporters. “Give ourselves a good taste in our mouth and when we come back, we come back with a sense of urgency, giving that effort every game.” Utah has won three of its past four games and is battling the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings for eighth place in the Western Conference. The Jazz are 2-1 on a six-game homestand after recording a 103-90 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE BULLS (26-20): Chicago was 10 games over .500 before the current slide, and coach Fred Hoiberg was disappointed with the level of play as his squad collapsed against the Clippers. “You’ve just got to keep talking about it,” Hoiberg told reporters of his team’s mental toughness issues. “That’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to fight through it. Again, I’ve been saying this all year, I hate to sound like a broken record, we are a really good team when things are going well. We can go out there and play with a swagger and a confidence. But we lose that when things aren’t going well. They scored 69 points in the second half. You ain’t beating anybody when that happens.” Center Pau Gasol described it this way: “We’re not disciplined. Yep. We’re not. That’s it. It’s true. It’s a fact.”
ABOUT THE JAZZ (21-25): Power forward Derrick Favors displayed he is back in form with 20 points and nine rebounds in 35 minutes against Minnesota. The stellar outing came in Favors’ third game and first start since missing 16 contests because of a back ailment. “I had a month off with my injury, so I had a little energy,” Favors told reporters afterward. “We’ve still got to work on a lot of stuff because I missed time and Rudy (Gobert) missed time. So there’s still a lot of stuff we’ve got to work on.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Bulls have won seven of the past nine meetings.
2. Chicago F Mike Dunleavy (back) participated in a half-court scrimmage Saturday and is moving closer to seeing his first action of the season.
3. Utah SG Rodney Hood is averaging 22.8 points during the past five games and has topped 20 four times during the stretch.
PREDICTION: Jazz 92, Bulls 87

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Preview: Milwaukee At Sacramento
When: 10:00 PM ET, Monday, February 1, 2016
Where: Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, California
The pattern is several steps forward and several steps back for the Sacramento Kings, who are riding the downside of that wave at the moment. The Kings will try to turn things around at home and snap a four-game slide when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.
Sacramento ripped off five straight wins to jump into the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference before the current slide, during which they are surrendering an average of 119 points. All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins was hobbled by an ankle injury in Saturday’s loss at Memphis, and his shooting touch seems to have abandoned him over the last three contests. The Bucks are not playing their best basketball of late as well – four losses in five games – and are opening a three-game road trip with the Kings. Milwaukee went 2-6 on the road in January and is 7-21 away from home on the season.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (20-29): Milwaukee can usually count on 21-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo to provide some highlights even in a losing effort, and the “Greek Freak” delivered 28 points, six assists, three steals and two blocks in Friday’s 107-103 loss to the Miami Heat. “My teammates and my coaches make me more comfortable every day,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “When I have a (good) game going, they’re always looking for me. I felt like I had a game going (on Friday) and I felt I could make plays.” Antetokounmpo is not immune to the inconsistencies all of his young teammates seem to face and posted that effort against the Heat after managing seven points on 2-of-10 shooting in a loss at Memphis on Thursday.
ABOUT THE KINGS (20-27): Cousins went 3-of-17 from the field on Saturday before leaving the game for good in the fourth quarter due to the ankle injury. Cousins went for a franchise-record 56 points in a 129-126 loss to Charlotte on Jan. 25 but followed that up with an average of 20 points on 29 percent shooting in the last three contests and lamented the whole team’s effort on Saturday. “We come out and the effort isn’t there, the energy isn’t there early in games.” Cousins, who is day-to-day, told reporters. “We kind of allow teams to do what they want throughout the game and then we realize we’re down 20 and try to turn it on.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Kings PG Rajon Rondo had a string of 14 straight games with at least 10 assists come to an end when he posted eight on Saturday.
2. Bucks C Greg Monroe has scored over 20 points in five straight games.
3. Rudy Gay put up 36 points to lead Sacramento to a 129-118 victory at Milwaukee in a game Cousins missed on Nov. 25.
PREDICTION: Kings 112, Bucks 109

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Cavaliers’ controversial coaching change a big benefit to NBA betting
By BIG AL MCMORDIE
In a week in which there were two meetings among the top three contenders for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, the games were overshadowed by a development off the court.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin decided to further sabotage his team’s chances by breaking his hand on a team equipment manager’s face. Of course, in the sports business, off-court drama often fuels the industry more than the games, themselves. Still, a lot is happening on the court. “Big” Al McMordie takes a look at the week ahead in NBA wagering.
Spread watch
It’s true that first impressions die hard. And, after getting embarrassed by the Chicago Bulls in coach Tyronn Lue’s first game, many assumed that the firing of David Blatt was ill advised. Some even went further and proclaimed that Lue shouldn’t be allowed to coach in this year’s All-Star Game. But Lue’s Cavaliers rebounded off that Chicago loss to win their next four games (and cover their last three), including a 117-103 beatdown of the San Antonio Spurs.
Lue wants his team to play at a much faster pace than did Blatt, and Cleveland has scored 114-plus points in each of the last four games. Even more impressive is the fact that the Cavaliers’ “Big Three” of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love have all been important cogs in a more balanced offense. In Cleveland’s last two wins (over the Spurs and Pistons), all three players reached the 20-point plateau.
This week, the Cavs will play road games at Indiana and Charlotte, before coming back home to take on Boston and New Orleans. And, should Cleveland win its first two games this week, Lue would surpass Steve Kerr for the best win percentage of any coach in NBA history.
Certainly, Monday’s game at Indiana will be a tough test (the Pacers have covered four straight vs. the Cavs), but the upcoming schedule is not that daunting. If Lue’s men can get out of Indiana with a win, then I would expect Cleveland to have an 11-game win streak going into its game at Oklahoma City on February 21.
Total watch
In our last two weekly articles, I highlighted the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans, as both had started to play a lot of games Over the total. And each team has continued on that front. New Orleans has played its last eight games Over while Memphis has done the trick in nine of its last 10 games.
Interestingly, a team I’ve yet to focus on this season is the defensively-challenged Houston Rockets. But I can’t ignore James Harden & Co. any longer. Houston has played 16 of its last 19 games Over the total, including its last five. And in those last five games, Houston’s allowed an average of 116.8 points. For the season, the Rockets’ defense is the worst of any team with a .500 (or better) record, ranked No. 28 in defensive efficiency. In comparison, the next-worst team, with a .500 (or better) record, is Memphis, which ranks No. 17.
On Saturday, Houston will host the Portland Trail Blazers. And, given that 14 of the previous 17 meetings have sailed Over the total (including eight of nine at the Toyota Center), we could see yet another high-scoring affair.
Injury watch
Six-foot-10 Clippers star forward Blake Griffin beat up a 5-foot-8 equipment manager last week, and broke his hand in the process. Griffin was scheduled to play this week after rehabbing a quad injury sustained on December 25, but he now will be sidelined until late March. So his team’s already-dwindling championship hopes are hampered further.
The good news for Los Angeles is that it’s been playing well in his absence. Since Christmas, the Clippers are 15-3 SU and 13-5 ATS (though mainly against soft competition). But the bad news is that Griffin will miss L.A.’s three most important home games in the season’s second half: Spurs (Feb. 18), Warriors (Feb. 20) and Thunder (Mar. 2).
Without Griffin, the Clips have realized that their games against the NBA’s lightweights are “must wins” and they’ve generally taken care of business. This week, Los Angeles will play Minnesota (3-19 SU last 22), Orlando (2-12 SU last 14), and Miami (5-7 SU last 12), so the opportunity to pick up three wins is very good.
I especially like their chances to cover against the T-Wolves, as the Clippers have won 14 straight in the series (8-5-1 ATS). Even worse for the Timberwolves is the fact they’ll be unrested, and playing their third game in four nights, while the Clippers will have had the previous two days off.
Schedule watch
The San Antonio Spurs have been unbeatable at home this season. They’re 25-0 SU and 17-7-1 ATS. But playing away from the Alamo City has been a different story. The Spurs are a mortal 14-8 SU and 13-9 ATS, including 6-7 SU/ATS versus non-losing teams, and 0-3 ATS their last three overall.
This week, San Antonio will travel to Dallas Friday. The Mavericks have controlled the series at home, going 4-1 SU and ATS in the last five games with their bitter rivals. Dallas will be playing with revenge from a 29-point loss less than three weeks ago, in San Antonio. And the Mavs are 26-15-1 ATS when playing with revenge from a 20-point (or worse) defeat. Don’t be surprised if Dallas delivers some payback Friday night.