Posted on 3/6/2008 4:16:51 PM

NBA Point Spreads - Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks

By D.S. Williamson

Houston Rockets (+ 1.5) vs. Dallas Mavericks (- 1.5)

Tip-off: 9:35 pm EST.

The hottest team in the NBA, the Houston Rockets, travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks. The Rockets actually have a better straight-up record then the Mavs. Not only that, but the Rockets have gone 9 and 1 against the BetUS spread in their last 10 games. They’ve won 16 games in a row straight-up.

Dallas has had mixed results since trading for Jason Kidd. Although they continue to be a good team, they haven’t proven themselves to be a great team since acquiring Kidd. In fact some BetUS NBA bettors might say that Kidd has slowed them down some. They’ve gone an even 5 and 5 against the BetUS spread in their last 10 games. Overall, they are a sub-par 25-32-4 on the year. Let’s take a look at some other trends:

The Houston Rockets are 5 and 0 against the spread in their last 5 games as an underdog.

The Houston Rockets are 4 and 1 against the spread in their last 5 games versus a team from the NBA Southwest Division.

The Dallas Mavericks are 4-1-1 against the spread in their last 6 games against a team from the Western Conference.

The Favorite is 7 and 3 against the spread in the last 10 meetings between these two teams.

All of the money appears to be going to the Rockets. There is a reason for that. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas’s best player, won’t be suiting up for this game. Dirk received a one game suspension for committing a flagrant foul against Andrei Kirilenko in Dallas’s last game versus the Utah Jazz.

As important as Yao Ming was to the Houston Rockets, Dirk is ten times that to the Dallas Mavericks. There are other scorers on Dallas’s team, but what Dirk can do - - take the opposing teams power forward way from the basket or shooting over small guards - - is rare. Erik Dampier is not going to do it.

That means the Mavs have to rely on their guards, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, and Jerry Stackhouse, to win this game for them. Stackhouse is listed as a forward, but he will probably play more like a 3-guard tonight.

I like Avery Johnson as a coach, but this is too much to overcome. The Mavs going down while the Rockets are rising faster than a teenager visiting his first strip-club.

Forget it. The Rockets should win this one straight-up.

The BetUS basketball betting line is Houston Rockets + 1.5 against the spread on the road versus the Dallas Mavericks.

I like the Rockets tonight.

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