The Dallas Mavericks look to take advantage of the absence of Tony Parker as they host the Western Conference’s no. 1 team, the San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees open another chapter in their storied rivalry when these two teams meet for the first time this season.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks (8:00 PM EST)
Line: San Antonio Spurs (+2.5) at Dallas Mavericks (-2.5); total: 202.5– view these lines
Betting on the San Antonio Spurs
[sc:NBA240banner ]After upholding a 19-game winning streak, the San Antonio Spurs have now dropped two of their last three games. The defending Western Conference champions lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, 110-91 as seven-point road faves. The Spurs are now 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games.
Without injured guard Tony Parker, the Spurs did not have an answer for Ricky Rubio, who burned the Spurs for 23 points and seven assists. Parker will still be out tonight against the Mavericks, so expect Corey Joseph to replace the French guard in the starting lineup. Joseph tallied 13 points and dished out two assists against Minnesota.
The Spurs are 3-0 SU this season against Dallas, covering the spread in two of those games. In the last meeting, Parker led San Antonio to a 112-106 victory, with 22 points while Tim Duncan contributed 17 points and nine boards. Duncan is the Spurs’ second best scorer (behind Parker) against Dallas with an average of 18.0 PPG.
Betting on the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have snuck into the playoff picture thanks to a late surge. After a successful West Coast road trip, in which they strung together three straight wins against the Clippers, Lakers, and Kings, the Mavericks sustained their momentum by clobbering the Jazz on Tuesday, 95-83. Dallas is now 4-0 SU in the last four outings.
Dirk Nowitzki has been terrific during Dallas’ recent win streak, he’s averaging a team-high 21.6 PPG over the last five games. Against Utah, Nowitzki fired 21 points (9-11 from the field) to move past Oscar Robertson for no. 10 in the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
While they are shooting the ball extremely well (48% from the field in the last five games), the Mavericks’ defense has also stepped up to bring the team closer to a playoff berth. Dallas has been giving up an average of 102.4 PPG throughout the season, but has limited foes to just 99.6 PPG over the last five contests. Dallas is 3-0 under in its last three games.
Prediction
The Mavericks are playing with a sense of urgency. Expect them to put up mighty resistance against the visiting San Antonio team. Take Dallas winning straight up and covering the spread.
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees (7:05 PM EST)
Line: Boston Red Sox (-103) at New York Yankees (-107); total 8.5 – view these lines
Betting on the Boston Red Sox
David Ortiz played the hero once again for the Boston Red Sox last night, knocking a three-run homer in the eighth to key his team’s 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers. Relief pitcher Andrew Miller picked up his first win of the season, while closer Koji Uehara took the mound in the ninth for his second save. The victory marked the third time in four Red Sox games that the total went under.
After going 6-10 in the first two games of the series, Mike Napoli was silent in the third game, only registering a walk in a 0-3 night against the Rangers last night. Nevertheless, Napoli is still among the team’s leader in batting average (.333), RBI’s (8), and hits (12). He has an average of .316 (24-76) from 2011-2013 against the Yankees.
Clay Buchholz starts for the Red Sox in the first game of their first series this season against the Yankees. Buchholz is 3-0 in his last three starts versus the Bronx Bombers.
Betting on the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees find themselves at the bottom of the AL East standings after taking a 5-4 loss last night against the visiting Baltimore Orioles. It was also the third time in four games in which the total went over the line.
Amidst the loss, the Yankees could take consolation in Carlos Beltran’s great night. The 36-year old veteran went 3-3 and was a triple short of a rare cycle. Another player worth mentioning is rookie Yangervis Solarte. Solarte is the Yankees’ leader in batting average (.429), RBI’s (8), and OPS (1.227). He recorded a single last night to extend his hitting streak to eight games.
Despite the Yankees losing to Toronto in his first start in pinstripes uniform, Michael Pineda had a good performance in that game, surrendering five hits and striking out five batters in six innings of work. He will look to continue his fine form when New York hosts the Red Sox tonight.
Prediction
Clay Buchholz will be in his A-game tonight. Expect the Yankees to struggle hitting the ball against him. Boston will win this low-scoring game.
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