Posted at 10:00 AM EST. Odds are subject to change.

Dallas +110 over Cleveland

7:30 PM EST. There are difficult scheduling situations in the NBA, and then there's what Cleveland has been handed tonight. The Cavaliers played in Miami last night, surrendered 133 points in a 133-121 defeat, and were supposed to fly home afterward. Unfortunately, a nationwide air traffic control disruption threw those plans out the window. Cleveland couldn't secure a pilot until Saturday morning, meaning the players were on a bus at 8 AM, in the air at 9 AM and didn't arrive home until around noon. Now they're expected to play another NBA game at 7:30 tonight. Meanwhile, Dallas was already in Cleveland, enjoying a normal night's sleep and preparing for an opponent whose travel itinerary looks more like an endurance competition.

The second night of a back-to-back is already a difficult assignment, particularly when the first game is played on the road. Add an unexpected overnight stay, an early morning departure and a severely disrupted recovery schedule, and the circumstances become considerably worse. Cleveland has barely had time to unpack, never mind recover from Friday night's game. Donovan Mitchell reportedly wanted tonight's contest postponed, which tells you something about how the Cavaliers view the situation. The NBA is proceeding anyway, and Dallas couldn't have asked for a more accommodating scheduling advantage.

Making matters worse, Cleveland is dealing with some significant personnel issues. Evan Mobley is doubtful with a sprained left big toe, while Sam Merrill and Nae'Qwan Tomlin are also unavailable. Mobley is particularly important because of the defensive presence he provides around the basket. His 16.9 points and 7.3 rebounds are valuable, but his ability to protect the rim and clean up mistakes is even more difficult to replace. Cleveland just allowed Miami to score 133 points with a healthier roster, and now the Cavaliers may be without their most important interior defender against a rested opponent.

Dallas, meanwhile, comes into this matchup with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving available, giving the Mavericks the offensive weapons to exploit Cleveland's depleted frontcourt. Flagg is averaging 24.6 points, while Irving's return provides another dangerous scoring option. With Daniel Gafford patrolling the middle and Cleveland potentially missing Mobley, Dallas should have opportunities to attack inside and compete for second-chance possessions. More importantly, the Mavericks have the luxury of fresh legs against an opponent that has spent the better part of the last 24 hours playing basketball, sitting around airports and traveling.

The market has continued to give Cleveland considerable respect based on what this team accomplished last season, but the current version hasn't earned that same confidence. The Cavaliers are 6-7 and have rewarded their backers just four times in 13 games against the spread. Dallas hasn't exactly been setting the league on fire either, but this is about circumstances and price, not which team has the prettier résumé. Cleveland is playing its second game in less than 24 hours, following an exhausting and disrupted trip home, with key players missing and virtually no opportunity to recover. Dallas is rested, already in town and catching the Cavaliers at an exceptionally vulnerable moment. That's precisely the kind of scheduling disparity worth exploiting.

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