PREMIUM
Rogers' 3-Game NBA SWEEPER PASS
(NBA) Dallas vs. Washington,
Point Spread: 7.50 | -100.00 Dallas (Away)
Result: Win
Point Spread: 7.50 | -100.00 Dallas (Away)
Result: Win
The set-up: The 28-38 Dallas Mavericks have been trying to climb into the No. 8 spot in the West but it hasn't much helped that they have lost their last two, including an 'ugly' 100-78 defeat at Toronto on Monday, in the opener of a four-game road trip. It surely doesn't get any easier for Dallas tonight, as the Mavs face the 41-25 Washington Wizards, who are battling the Celtics for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference (currently trail Boston by a half-game) and also hold out hope that they can still catch the East's top-team, the 44-22 Cavs.
Dallas: Monday's setback dropped Dallas 3 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Denver Nuggets with just 16 games to play. It was the team's second straight poor shooting performance, as the Mavs shot 36.5 percent from the foor in Toronto, after only shooting 37.8 percent in a 100-98 home loss to the Suns on Saturday. The Mavs have gotten steady paly all season from Harrison Barnes (20.0 & 5.2) and Dirk (14.2 & 6.8) has gotten healthier as the season has progressed. Recently, Seth Curry and Yogi Farrell have added a spark out of the backcourt plus Nerlens Noel, acquired from Philly, averaged 9.1 & 5.6 in about 24 minutes in his first six games with Dallas. However, he has missed the last three games due to soreness in his left knee. That said, he is expected to return for Wednesday's game.
Washington: The Wizards are just back from a five-game road trip and after winning the first four, ran out of gas in Minnesota on Monday, falling 119-104. The Wizards have an excellent starting-five, led by the guard duo of Beal (23.2) and Wall (23.1-4.4-10.7) plus a trio of frontcourt starters all averaging in double digits (center Gortat averages a double-double, at 11.4 & 11.0). Washington had been missing a scoring punch off the bench but solved that problem by trading for Bojan Bogdanovic, who has averaged 15.6 PPG in his 11 games with the Wizards, connecting on 45.6% of his threes.
The pick: The Mavs beat the Wizards 113-105 in Dallas back on Jan. 3 but Washington has gone 25-7 since that contest. Scoring has been an issue for the Mavs all season (98.1 PPG ranks 30th) but note that on its recent five-game road trip, the Wizards allowed at least 113 points in each game, despite going 4-1. Take the points and make Dallas an 8* play.
Dallas: Monday's setback dropped Dallas 3 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Denver Nuggets with just 16 games to play. It was the team's second straight poor shooting performance, as the Mavs shot 36.5 percent from the foor in Toronto, after only shooting 37.8 percent in a 100-98 home loss to the Suns on Saturday. The Mavs have gotten steady paly all season from Harrison Barnes (20.0 & 5.2) and Dirk (14.2 & 6.8) has gotten healthier as the season has progressed. Recently, Seth Curry and Yogi Farrell have added a spark out of the backcourt plus Nerlens Noel, acquired from Philly, averaged 9.1 & 5.6 in about 24 minutes in his first six games with Dallas. However, he has missed the last three games due to soreness in his left knee. That said, he is expected to return for Wednesday's game.
Washington: The Wizards are just back from a five-game road trip and after winning the first four, ran out of gas in Minnesota on Monday, falling 119-104. The Wizards have an excellent starting-five, led by the guard duo of Beal (23.2) and Wall (23.1-4.4-10.7) plus a trio of frontcourt starters all averaging in double digits (center Gortat averages a double-double, at 11.4 & 11.0). Washington had been missing a scoring punch off the bench but solved that problem by trading for Bojan Bogdanovic, who has averaged 15.6 PPG in his 11 games with the Wizards, connecting on 45.6% of his threes.
The pick: The Mavs beat the Wizards 113-105 in Dallas back on Jan. 3 but Washington has gone 25-7 since that contest. Scoring has been an issue for the Mavs all season (98.1 PPG ranks 30th) but note that on its recent five-game road trip, the Wizards allowed at least 113 points in each game, despite going 4-1. Take the points and make Dallas an 8* play.
