NBA Betting: Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks
Written by Greg Waters
Wed, 19 Jan 2011
Category sportsbook
Feedback Rating - no votes
The Los Angeles Lakers (-3, O/U 190.5) are in Dallas tonight hoping to establish a new winning streak after being upset by the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday at the Staples Center.
Oklahoma City was in LA on Monday and the Lakers won 101-94, proving they had shaken off the loss for the time being. Playing away from home, however, has not been easy for LA and online sportsbooks have adjusted odds accordingly.
The Lakers are just 1-3-1 ATS in their past five road games and 14-7 SU on the year. It's a far worse road record than Western Conference leading San Antonio (13-4 on the road) and something Kobe Bryant knows his team needs to work on if it hopes to narrow the five-game gap between them and the Spurs.
Dallas has lost six straight games straight-up and ATS, and one more loss would match the team's worst losing streak since February, 1999, but the Mavericks' best games this season were against some of the league's elite teams. If they are to snap out of their current funk, now would be a perfect time.
The Mavericks most-recent win was Jan. 4, at home against Portland. Leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki (23.8 ppg) had only been out of the lineup for a week and at first it looked like the team would make due. Nowitzki returned to the lineup on the weekend and the Mavs were manhandled vs. Memphis and Detroit but this home game is merely a pit stop surrounded by six road dates.
Dallas has slipped to fifth in the West during this slump and with Chicago on-deck cannot afford to rollover against this top contender.
The underdog in this series is 14-6-1 ATS the past five years and Dallas is 4-1 SU since Nov. 23 in its first home game following a road game, including a 2-0 ATS mark when the line was less than -3.5 points.
With Nowitzki in his third game back, look for Dallas to rally at home and give the Lakers all they can handle.
Pick: Take the Mavericks
link: http://wheretobet.com/redirect/sportsbetting.com-205/all