Cleveland vs Mavericks Prediction 2 February 2025

🔊 Will the visitors be able to put up a fight without their leader? In the NBA regular season, Cleveland will host Dallas on their court. The absence of several key players from the visitors will affect the quality of their game in all components. The Cavaliers have returned to their usual form, overwhelming opponents with three-point shots. A high pace is predicted, which Irving and company are unlikely to withstand. The Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has every right to expect another victory for their team.

📊 HEAD-TO-HEAD

The opponents faced each other in January. Cleveland secured a convincing victory with a score of 134-122. Interestingly, in the last 5 head-to-head meetings, the Cavs defeated last season's finalist.

🏀 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

The leader of the Eastern Conference has emerged from a crisis - Cleveland has won three games in a row. Certainly, the opponents were not the top ones, but in the Cavs' situation, any victory is valuable. First and foremost, the return to an offensive style should be noted: successes in matches against Atlanta (137-115), Miami (126-106), and Detroit (110-91) were associated with offense. The Cavaliers have regained their three-point shot, which is still executed with the highest accuracy - 39.5%. In terms of pace, the hosts are also among the best in the championship - this allows them to score 121.8 points per game. Of course, the statistic of points conceded (112.1) might stand out, but in relation to points scored, it's quite an adequate value. Garland and Mitchell are capable of establishing decent team basketball (29 assists, 3rd in the NBA). The home court factor and time for rest only strengthen Cleveland's position.

🏀 DALLAS MAVERICKS

The Dallas players continue to play without Doncic, making every match extremely challenging. Even against NOP, it was a real battle - a hard-fought victory with a score of 137-136. However, traveling to Cleveland, especially in back-to-back conditions, is fraught with a series of systemic problems. All hopes, as in all recent matches, rest on Irving. In a recent game against Detroit (102-117), he scored 28 points, but his efficiency suffered, and there was no support from his teammates either. What stands out is that Dallas loses the ball too often (14.3, 14th in the NBA). This logically affects their scoring (115.4) and points conceded (112.1). Until their lineup becomes optimal, playing against top teams will cause a lot of suffering: such was the case with Boston (107-122) and Denver (99-118).

📝 EDITOR'S PREDICTION

Cleveland has returned to its former condition. Even if their long-range shot isn't working, there's always the option of driving to the basket, where the Mavericks have significant personnel issues. Gafford might defend at an acceptable level, but he certainly won't last all 48 minutes. Mobley and Allen will outplay their counterparts in the paint. And the Cavaliers' stars look slightly more effective - this could be enhanced by the home court factor. The opponents might play at high speeds, but at some point, Dallas will run out of resources. Meanwhile, even with a half-reserve lineup, the Cavaliers can overwhelm their opponent with three-pointers. We suggest trying a bet on Cleveland's victory with a handicap (-11.5).