Basketball fans are in for a treat later tonight as we’ve lined up a pair of mouth-watering NBA games that will definitely whet your hoops appetite. Opening proceedings this evening is the much-anticipated showdown between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks. Following shortly thereafter is the all-important clash between the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Read on below for a quick breakdown of these two pivotal matchups and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Cleveland vs. Chicago and Indiana vs. Toronto.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Dallas Mavericks (8:30 PM ET)
Line: Memphis Grizzlies (+6.5) at Dallas Mavericks (-6.5); total: 194.5 – view all NBA lines
The Dallas Mavericks stretched their unbeaten run to five games with a thrilling 88-86 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. J.J. Barea scored a game-high 27 points for the Mavs who kept a slim advantage over Utah and Houston in the race for the last two Western Conference playoff spots.
The Mavericks will look to keep the momentum going when they face the Memphis Grizzlies later tonight. For the Mavs to accomplish that feat, they will need to continue their stellar play on the defensive end. They have allowed an average of just 86 points over their last five games. That’s way below their season average of 103.2 points allowed per contest.
The Mavericks are 2-1 SU and ATS against the Grizzlies this season.
The Los Angeles Clippers extended their winning streak to three games with a gritty 91-81 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Four starters scored in double-figures for the Clippers who moved to within 3.5 games of the Oklahoma City Thunder for third place in the Western Conference standings.
They will look to slice that deficit even further when they face the Utah Jazz later tonight. The Clippers will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have fared extremely well against the Jazz of late. The Clippers have won 14 of their last 15 games against the Jazz. The Clips edged past the Jazz, 109-104, in their last meeting on December 26.
The Clippers are 7-0 SU and 2-3-2 ATS in their last seven road games against the Jazz.
