NBA Preview: Mavs and Clippers Look to Build

Thursday night’s NBA doubleheader sees two teams that suffered losing skids try to continue a recent turnaround in their fortunes.

Mavs need to perform
A home win over the Lakers on Wednesday stopped the longest losing streak of the season for Dallas. A win at Chicago tonight would stop a four-game losing streak on the road. The Mavericks are third in the Western Conference, with a healthy 27-14 record. Dirk Nowitzki had a quiet night against the Lakers but came up big when it counted. The crucial difference for Dallas was the return to form of Jason Kidd and Jason Terry. Normally the Mavericks would need all their scoring threats on top form to beat the Bulls. Chicago however have injury worries that should turn the tide in Dallas’ favor.

Chicago will want to rebound from an ugly shooting performance against the Bobcats on Tuesday. The absence of Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah is hurting Chicago, with Derrick Rose and Luol Deng being forced to carry the team. Once their bigs are back, the Bulls should be contenders in the post-season. For now they are the ideal opponent for the Mavs to end their losing streak. Look for Dallas to spread out the scoring opportunities, tiring out the Bulls, before taking control in the final quarter. It should be close but I like the Mavericks to stop the skid. Bet on Dallas as +3.5 underdogs with Sports Interaction.

Get ready for Griffin
There’s rarely enough NBA betting interest in the Clippers for them to merit a mention on these pages but Blake Griffin has brought LA’s other team back to prominence. A 16-25 record may no look all that impressive by the Clippers have won 10 of their last 14 and are scoring for fun, largely thanks to the rookie of the year favorite. Griffin exploded for 47 points against Indiana on Monday night and added another 29 last night against Minnesota. A 35 win season would be a big step forward but success in Portland tonight would have Los Angeles fans thinking the playoffs are a possibility.

Before reaching such dizzying heights they will however need to take care of the Blazers first. Portland enters this game on a three game winning streak and flat-out owns the Clippers in the Rose Garden. I expect a spirited performance from the Clippers but not a victory. Bet on Portland to win as -3.0 favorites with Sports Interaction.