Dallas Mavericks vs. Toronto Raptors: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 11/26/2022

Time: 5 p.m. ET

Venue: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON

Where to watch: SN, BSSW-DAL

DraftKings: Mavs -2.5

FanDuel: Mavs -2.5

BetMGM: Mavs -2.5

Caesars: Mavs -2.5

Mavs: 9-8

Raptors: 9-9

Mavs: lost 125-112 at Celtics

Raptors: lost 112-98 vs. Nets

Here we go again. The Dallas Mavericks are really pissing me off. and it's not that I even really care about The Mavericks that much. Do I enjoy watching them play basketball? Yes and it's a fun time sometimes. But what in the world happened over the course of four or five months that turn this team from championship contender to Luka Doncic and a bunch of ragtag people? After watching how badly they played against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday I really just have no faith in this group right now and going into Saturday against the Toronto Raptors, I don't have any faith in The Mavericks to do anything there either.

I mean, how in the world did he get this bad? Is Jalen Brunson really that much of the catalyst in the savior for Dallas as we all possibly took for granted? I don't know quite exactly if that's the case but there is absolutely no reason why the potential MVP of this league should have to put 42 points and nine assists in this game and Dallas still lost by 13. How in the world is that even acceptable? I mean, let's look at the box score shall we because it's a ridiculous joke as it is? Christian wood had 26 points and 12 rebounds in 34 minutes. That is good. That is exactly the kind of production that The Mavericks were hoping for from this man when they acquired him in a trade before the NBA draft. Good start there. Everything else is crap.

Spencer Dinwiddie had 15 points and was a - 23 on the box score. Dwight Powell played 11 minutes and had one point. Dorian Finney Smith had 10 points in 37 minutes. JaVale McGee had five points in 5 minutes. Josh Green had three points but was a + 11 in 22 minutes. Tim Hardaway junior had two points on one of seven shooting in 22 minutes of action. I have no idea if it has to do with the coming back from injury part, but he is not getting it done right now and the Mavericks need something at that guard position and if the name Jaden Hardy is not coming out of anyone's mouth in the Dallas organization right now, somebody needs to be fired.

 And look, I’m not trying to discredit the Raptors in anything that they're doing right now. Toronto is a 9-9 basketball team and they're finding ways to win even without Pascal siakam. Any team who can find ways to win without your best player is doing a pretty good job in that certain category. It would be a lot easier if The Mavericks could do that. They had this knack last year where they were able to win without Luka. Now I bet if Luka didn't play again they would probably lose every game that he set out.

This Dallas team makes absolutely no sense. Even if he's not the best defensively, you should play your big man 30 minutes a night, the one that knows how to play basketball. If you're going to bring him off the bench as a six man, you better be able to know how to play him. And right now it looks like Dallas has no idea what it's doing right now, Jason Kidd looks like a deer in headlights and gives the same stupid answers every time. I don't trust him and I don't trust his team to do anything remotely until they can start showing that they can win consistently.

I just have this weird hunch given how good of a defensive team Toronto is as a whole, that they will absolutely find a way to stifle the Mavericks with no problem period this is a Dallas team that is 1-5 on the road. This is normally a good road team. If they want me to take them seriously, they're going to need to start winning some games. Raptors by 8 

Mavs are 600-497 ATS on the road since 1996.

Mavs are 121-87 ATS on the road when playing 4 games or less in 10 days since 1996.

Mavs are 4-12 ATS this season.

PG: Luka Doncic

SG: Spencer Dinwiddie

SF: Reggie Bullock

PF: Dorian Finney-Smith

C: Dwight Powell

PG: Fred VanVleet

SG: Gary Trent Jr.

SF: O.G. Anunoby

PF: Chris Boucher

C: Thaddeus Young