The Toronto Raptors have been flying high all season long, but they’ve struggled to perform away from home lately. The Raptors will look to snap a three-game road skid when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Sportsbooks opened the Mavericks as 5-point home underdogs with a total of 219.
- The UNDER is 5-0 in the Mavericks' last five games.
- The UNDER is 4-0 in the last four meetings between the Raptors and Mavericks in Dallas.
- The Raptors are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 road games.
Raptors vs Mavericks Game Center
Welcome back, Kawhi!
Toronto fell to Indiana and Houston to open its three-game road trip and welcomed back superstar Kawhi Leonard on Friday after he was given four games off to rest. Leonard didn’t show any signs of rust thanks to 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting but missed a 3-point attempt on the final possession of the 121-119 loss to the Rockets. Kyle Lowry has been slumping of late, as the point guard last hit 50 percent or better from the floor against Golden State on December 12.
Dallas got a boost in its last two games - both wins - thanks to point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who came back to the team after being away for the previous six games. Smith averaged 18 points in the wins. The Mavericks fell 116-107 on the road to the Raptors on October 26 in the last meeting between the teams. On the season, the Mavs are 4-20 SU on the road compared to an 18-6 mark at home.
Is another UNDER in store?
When it comes to totals trends, bettors may want to pay close attention to the UNDER in this game. The Mavericks have gone UNDER in each of their past five overall, and they’re 0-8 O/U in their last eight games against Eastern Conference opponents. The UNDER has also paid out in each of the previous four meetings between the Raptors and Mavericks.
Toronto simply hasn’t been a reliable wager away from home lately, evidenced by the Raptors going 2-9 ATS in their past 11 road tilts. Toronto is 1-6 ATS in its past seven when coming off a straight-up loss.
My pick: take the Mavericks
It’s no secret who the better team is in this game, but the Mavericks’ success at home and failures on the road are eye-popping. Toronto hasn’t been getting the job done when it comes to covering the spread on the road and Dallas has been doing it with ease at home, so take the Mavs on the spread here.
