Mavericks vs. Cavaliers NBA expert prediction and odds for Tuesday, Feb. 27 (Trust Cavs?)

Two of the hotter teams in the NBA face off on Tuesday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers play host to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. 

Dallas is coming off a loss on Sunday to the Indiana Pacers, but the team has won seven of its last 10 games. The Cavs have also won seven of 10, holding onto the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference in the process. 

This should be an intriguing matchup between two of the best scorers in the game (Doncic and Donovan Mitchell), but can Dallas’ new-look roster compete with a Cavs team that is finally getting healthy? 

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Let’s break down the odds and my best bet for Tuesday’s contest: 

Mavericks vs. Cavaliers odds, spread and total

Mavericks vs. Cavaliers how to watch 

• Date: Tuesday, Feb. 27
• Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
• How to watch (TV): Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Southwest
• Mavericks record: 33-24
• Cavaliers record: 37-19

Mavericks vs. Cavaliers injury reports

Mavericks injury report

• Greg Brown III – out
• Luka Doncic – probable 
• Dante Exum – doubtful
• Josh Green – probable
• Maxi Kleber – probable
• A.J. Lawson – out
• Dereck Lively II – probable
• Brandon Williams – out
• Olivier Maxence-Prosper – out

Cavaliers injury report

• Emoni Bates – out
• Ty Jerome – out
• Pete Nance – out
• Isaiah Mobley – out
• Tristan Thompson – out

Mavericks vs. Cavaliers key players to watch

Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic: Doncic is having an MVP-caliber season, and he’s dominated since the start of 2024, averaging 34.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game across 19 contests. Luka had 39 points on 14-of-29 shooting in a three-point loss to Cleveland earlier this season. 

Cleveland Cavaliers

Evan Mobley: This could be a big game for Evan Mobley on the glass, as the Dallas Mavericks are bottom 10 in the NBA in rebounding percentage this season. The team did add PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford at the deadline, but that may not be enough to slow down Mobley. The Cavs young star is averaging 15.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game since returning from a knee injury (12 games). 

Mavericks vs. Cavaliers prediction and pick

As good as Dallas has been as a road favorite (11-3 ATS), the team has struggled a bit as a road dog, going 5-7 ATS this season.

Cleveland is 11-10-1 ATS as a home favorite, but the team is healthy for one of the first times all season after Donovan Mitchell returned to action on Sunday. 

With Darius Garland, Mitchell, Mobley, and Jarrett Allen all healthy, Cleveland has the talent to win this game – even with Doncic putting up MVP-caliber numbers on the other side. 

This game really may be won on the glass, as the Cavs are No. 9 in the NBA in rebounding percentage while Dallas clocks in at No. 28 in the league in that category. 

The Mavericks struggled on the road against Indiana, and I’m concerned that the team could be coming back to earth after a major winning streak. 

On the season, the Mavs are still posting a net rating of just 1.0, while Cleveland sits at 5.4. 

The Cavs may not be covering at an insane rate as home favorites, but they’re winning those games by an average margin of eight points per game. Since the start of 2024, Cleveland has arguably been the best team in the NBA. 

I’ll lay this small number with a healthy Cavs team on Tuesday. 

Pick: Cavs -4.5 (-110)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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