The Dallas Mavericks ride into the Target Center in Minneapolis for the first time this season on Tuesday night to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8 p.m. EST, and  installed as -5 1/2 point road favorites with a 194 point total by most offshore sportsbooks including Bodog.com. The Mavericks boast the league's best record (47-9), and also own the NBA's longest-active winning streak at 12 games. Dallas has only lost four games since November 8.
The winning streak is the third streak this season where the Mavericks have won at least 12 games, an NBA record. The Mavericks are on a two game winning streak against the spread (ATS) while the over has cashed on totals betting in three straight games the Mavericks have played. Minnesota has not been kind to supporters as of late by losing four straight ATS and seven of their last 10. The OVER has cashed on totals betting in six of the last 10 Timberwolves games.
“They (the Mavericks) have it going on,” said head coach Randy Wittman after Monday's practice. “They have three plus streaks of 12 wins in a row. They are playing well.”
On Sunday, Minnesota earned its first win after the All-Star break by defeating the Washington  Wizards 98-94, and enter the contest against the Mavericks with a record of 26-30 (17-11 at home), one game out of a playoff spot in the deep Western Conference.
The Mavericks arrive to Minnesota fresh off a 110-87 home victory against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday in which they were led by MVP front-runner Dirk Nowitzki's 27 points. In his last six games, the sharp-shooting German is averaging 29.5 points on 54 percent shooting, 10 rebounds and five assists. Nowitzki, however, will have his hands full as he faces former MVP and fellow all-star, Kevin Garnett, who is putting up some gaudy stats himself in his last five contests: 24.2 points, 15.4 boards, one steal and just under one block a game.
“He (Nowitzki) can score in so many different ways,” said Wittman. “But I like our matchup with Kevin Garnett on him. Garnett is a very similar player to Nowitzki. I think that's why they've had such great battles in the last three, four, five years, because they are so similar in their style of play. KG can go out on the floor and make jump shots, as well as post up. They kind of counter each other, which makes for an interesting matchup.”
