Dallas Mavericks vs Cleveland Cavaliers Picks and Prediction for Saturday November 14 2026

The Cavaliers are playing host to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night at 7:30 PM ET at Rocket Arena. The game here is one that sees the Mavericks coming in after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves by 39 points. Now, the Cavaliers are a team that has ended up getting some life showing with a win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Make sure you are ready for all the NBA action with our free NBA picks. 

Dallas Needs to Forget About Thursday Quickly

Dallas is heading here after losing on Thursday night to Minnesota by a score of 133-94. That loss to the Timberwolves dropped the Mavericks to a record of 7-5 overall. However, prior to losing to the Timberwolves the Mavericks were able to win three straight games. 

The Mavericks offense is coming in playing decent, but not a dominating force with 113.2 points per game, but the shooting for the Mavericks is sitting at 46.8% on the year from the field and 33.6% from the three point line. When it comes to passing the ball the Dallas team has ended up getting 26.3 assists per game, but have turned the ball over 16.5 times per game. The defense for Dallas has played impressive at times with only 112.2 points per game allowed. 

Cooper Flagg is averaging 24.6 points and 6.5 assists, although Minnesota held him to 12 points Thursday after his 43-point performance against Indiana. Kyrie Irving is another major scoring option, but even he was hamstrung by the Timberwolves with only  he managed only ten points. Zaccharie Risacher led Dallas with 22 off the bench in that loss. The Mavericks have also been dealing with injuries to Dereck Lively II, Sergio de Larrea and Tarik Biberovic. 

Cleveland Has a Chance to Build Some Momentum

The Cavaliers are 6-6 overall heading into Friday’s game at Miami, which was not included in this preview. The Heat beat New York 115-107 Wednesday and ended their 2 game losing streak. Cleveland had lost to Charlotte 124-112 Monday and to the Knicks 109-97 Saturday, The downside is the Cavaliers have not been showing up consistently on the court this year to be a true threat.

The offense for Cleveland has not been horrible with 116.4 points per game scored on 46.4% shooting from the floor and 36.9% from beyond the arc. The passing has been impressive at 26.7 assists per game, but the Cavaliers are really good at avoiding the turnover bug with 13.5 per game. The defense for the Cavaliers has allowed only 114.3 points per game.  

Donovan Mitchell is averaging 22.8 points per game, while James Harden has been running the offense and contributing 5.6 assists a night. Harden had his best scoring game of the season Wednesday, putting up 32 points against New York. Mitchell added 23, and Jarrett Allen finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Allen is leading the Cavaliers with 8.3 rebounds this season..

Dallas Mavericks vs Cleveland Cavaliers Picks and Prediction

Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers Moneyline

I’m leaning Cleveland. Dallas has had an extra day to recover, and I wouldn’t expect another 39-point loss. Flagg and Irving are too good for that to become the norm. But the Mavericks have been turning the ball over too much, and Cleveland has been doing a better job taking care of it. Harden just scored 32 against the Knicks, Mitchell can get hot in a hurry, and Allen gives the Cavaliers a solid presence around the basket. The back-to-back is the obvious concern for Cleveland. If the Cavs have to work hard against Miami Friday, that could show up late Saturday. Even so, I trust Cleveland’s offensive balance a little more. I’ll take the Cavaliers at home.

Total Pick: Under 230 or Higher

I like the under if the total opens at 230 or above. Dallas is scoring 113.2 points a game, Cleveland 116.4, and neither offense has been completely dependable. The Mavericks just scored 94 against Minnesota, and Cleveland has had several games where the shooting hasn’t been particularly good. Both teams can certainly get hot from outside, and that’s the danger. Flagg could bounce back with a big night, and Harden and Mitchell can score in bunches. But I think Dallas will make a point of playing better defense after Thursday’s embarrassment, while Cleveland might not have its usual legs after playing Friday. I’d rather have the under at that number.

Final Picks: Cleveland Cavaliers Moneyline and Under 230 or Higher