Dallas Mavericks vs Toronto Raptors: Prediction and betting tips | February 28, 2024

Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors take on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, marking their second and final matchup this season. The Raptors will look to sweep their season series against the Mavericks after defeating them 127-116 in Dallas on Nov. 8.

Toronto (22-36) will also have a chance to extend its season-best three-game winning streak. The Raptors are coming off a hard-fought 130-122 road win over the Indiana Pacers (33-26) on Monday.

As for the Mavericks (33-25), they will attempt to snap their two-game losing streak. Dallas is coming off a heartbreaking 121-119 last-second road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers (38-19) on Tuesday. The Mavericks led 119-118 before Cavaliers forward Max Strus nailed a buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer from beyond halfcourt.

Additionally, both Toronto and Dallas are battling for play-in/playoff positioning. Amid their three-game winning streak, the Raptors are just 4.0 games behind the 10th-placed Atlanta Hawks (26-32) for the Eastern Conference’s final play-in spot.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks are just one game behind the sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns (34-24) in the crowded Western Conference. With a top-six finish, they would avoid the play-in, directly securing a playoff spot.

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Dallas Mavericks vs Toronto Raptors: Preview, prediction and betting tips

Wednesday’s matchup between the Mavericks and Raptors takes place at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario. The contest tips off at 7:30 p.m. EST on Sportsnet and Bally Sports SW-DAL. It can also be streamed on NBA League Pass.

Additionally, fans can tune into the showdown via radio with SiriusXM and Sportsnet 590.

Moneyline: Mavericks (-155) vs. Raptors (+130)

Spread: Mavericks (-3.0) vs. Raptors (+3.0)

Total (Over/Under): Mavericks (o240.0) vs Raptors (u240.0)

Editor's note: The odds could change closer to tip-off, as the odds listed were based on available information at the time of writing.

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Dallas Mavericks vs Toronto Raptors: Game preview

First-time All-Star forward Scottie Barnes has led the charge for the Raptors during their three-game winning streak, putting forth strong all-around production. The 22-year-old set Toronto’s franchise record for triple-doubles in a season (four) on Monday. However, multiple other players have also stepped up for Toronto lately.

Point guard Immanuel Quickley is leading the Raptors in scoring over their last three games, with an average of 22.3 points per game. Meanwhile, they have received offensive boosts from some of their young prospects, including rookie sharpshooter Gradey Dick and recently acquired sophomore wing Ochai Agbaji.

Dallas, on the other hand, continues to be led by the offensive contributions of stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Doncic remains the NBA’s leading scorer, averaging a whopping 34.5 ppg.

The Mavericks also added frontcourt depth at the Feb. 8 trade deadline, acquiring center Daniel Gafford and forward P.J. Washington. Before dropping their last two games, they won their first four contests with Gafford and Washington in their lineup. Those wins marked four of their season-best seven-game winning streak.

For the season, Toronto ranks 19th in offensive rating (114.3) and 23rd in defensive rating (117.2). Meanwhile, Dallas ranks eighth in offensive rating (117.5) and 21st in defensive rating (116.6).

As for injuries, both teams project to be at or near full strength on Wednesday. For the Raptors, starting center Jakob Poeltl (ankle) is listed as questionable, while two-way contract guard Markquis Nowell (hamstring) is out indefinitely.

For the Mavericks, guard Dante Exum (knee) is the only player listed on their injury report. The 28-year-old has been sidelined since Jan. 26. However, according to The Dallas Morning News’ Brad Townsend, he has a “good chance” of suiting up against Toronto.

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Dallas Mavericks vs Toronto Raptors: Starting lineups

Dallas and Toronto’s projected starting lineups for Wednesday’s showdown are as follows:

Mavericks: PG - Luka Doncic, SG - Kyrie Irving, SF - Josh Green, PF - P.J. Washington, C - Dereck Lively II

Raptors: PG - Immanuel Quickley, SG - Gary Trent Jr., SF - RJ Barrett, PF - Scottie Barnes, C - Jakob Poeltl (GTD)/Kelly Olynyk

Editor's note: These are predicted starting lineups, which could change depending on the availability of players whose status are uncertain.

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Dallas Mavericks vs Toronto Raptors: Betting tips

Entering Wednesday’s clash, Luka Doncic has a 33.5 over/under points prop. That is below his season average of 34.5 ppg. The five-time All-Star recorded 31 points in his previous matchup against the Raptors.

However, he is on a hot streak, scoring 41-plus points in two of his last three games, including 45 points on Tuesday against Cleveland. So, it makes sense to take his over.

As for Scottie Barnes, he has a 20.5 over/under points prop. The 22-year-old’s scoring output is harder to predict, as he often has games where he makes an all-around impact without scoring at a high rate.

Barnes recorded 21 points on Monday against Indiana. However, he tallied 20 or fewer points in seven of his previous nine contests. Additionally, he scored just 14 points in his last matchup against the Mavericks. So, he may not surpass his points prop against Dallas.

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Dallas Mavericks vs Toronto Raptors: Prediction

The Raptors have momentum entering Wednesday. However, the Mavericks have more star power and arguably a deeper team. Meanwhile, they should be highly motivated to redeem themselves following Tuesday’s brutal loss to the Cavaliers.

Thus, Dallas should have a good chance of snapping Toronto’s winning streak and covering the modest spread (-3.0).

Additionally, given both teams’ poor defenses, they should surpass their over/under points total of 240.0, as they did in their previous matchup.

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