Cooper Flagg scored 12 as Dallas lost 133-94 in Minnesota on Thursday, his lowest total in five games. Three nights earlier he had 43 against Indiana.
The Mavericks are 7-5 and have Friday off. Cleveland is 6-6 going into Friday, when it plays in Miami, so Saturday is the back half of a back-to-back.
Every pick is graded on its own page the morning after the game, wins and losses alike.
How to watch Mavericks vs Cavaliers in Canada
The Canadian listing wasn’t out yet when we published. Our how to watch the NBA in Canada guide explains who carries what.
Mavericks vs Cavaliers odds
Canadian books were still to open this market when the page went up. Lines usually appear within a day of tip-off and move with each injury update. Who operates in which province is on our NBA betting page.
Betting from Ontario? Our Ontario betting sites page has the full ranking. Albertans should use the Alberta betting sites page, and readers elsewhere our guide to the best betting sites in Canada.
Home, road and rest
| At home | On the road | Second of a back-to-back | With a day or more off | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mavericks | 5-2 (+7.1) | 2-3 (-7.6) | 1-1 (-6.5) | 6-3 (+4.8) |
| Cavaliers | 4-2 (+3.8) | 2-4 (+0.3) | 0-2 (-7.5) | 6-3 (+5.3) |
Record and average winning margin in brackets, this season.
Projected starting fives
| Starter | PTS | REB | AST | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Martin | 4.0 | 2.2 | 1.8 | Available |
| Daniel Gafford | 9.1 | 5.3 | 1.9 | Available |
| P.J. Washington | 14.2 | 7.2 | 1.1 | Available |
| Cooper Flagg | 24.6 | 6.9 | 6.5 | Available |
| Kyrie Irving | 21.6 | 3.2 | 4.3 | Available |
| Starter | PTS | REB | AST | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donovan Mitchell | 22.8 | 5.0 | 5.5 | Available |
| James Harden | 16.7 | 4.6 | 5.6 | Available |
| Jarrett Allen | 12.9 | 8.3 | 1.4 | Available |
| Evan Mobley | 16.9 | 7.3 | 3.6 | Not yet listed |
| Peyton Watson | 11.0 | 4.6 | 2.7 | Available |
The five who started each club’s last game, with season averages. Starting lineups are not announced until shortly before tip-off, so treat these as likely, not confirmed.
Team news
| Club | Player | Status | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | Dereck Lively II | Out, foot | Week to week |
| Dallas | Sergio de Larrea | Out, knee | Week to week |
| Dallas | Tarik Biberovic | Out, heel | No timetable |
| Cleveland | Evan Mobley | Not yet listed | Sprained toe; ruled out of Friday’s game at Miami (ESPN feed, 12 Nov) |
| Cleveland | Sam Merrill | Not yet listed | Elbow; missed the last three games (ESPN feed, 10 Nov) |
Evan Mobley sprained a toe in a hard fall late in Wednesday’s win over the Knicks and was ruled out of Friday’s game, according to ESPN’s injury feed on 12 November. Sam Merrill (elbow) has missed three straight. Dallas had Dereck Lively II (recovering from foot surgery), Tarik Biberovic (right heel) and Sergio de Larrea (right knee sprain) out for Thursday. Saturday’s league report comes out on game day.
League-wide statuses live on our NBA injury report.
How the Mavericks and Cavaliers compare this season
League rank out of 30 on this season’s box scores (12 and 12 games). Ratings are points per 100 possessions, estimated from the box score.
Cleveland protects the ball, fourth in turnover rate, and shoots an effective 55.0 per cent, seventh. Dallas is ninth on the offensive glass but 22nd from three.
Flagg against a Cleveland front line that may be without Mobley is the matchup. He averages 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists, but he’s making only 30.0 per cent of his threes.
Results so far
One bar per game this season, oldest first. Bars above the line are wins and below are defeats, sized by the margin on the scale at the left. “v” is a home game and “@” an away game. Hover or tap a bar for the score.
Flagg v Mitchell
| 24.6 | Points | 22.8 | ||
| 6.9 | Rebounds | 5.0 | ||
| 6.5 | Assists | 5.5 | ||
| 3.2 | Turnovers | 3.1 | ||
| 2.2 | Steals | 1.3 | ||
| 29.4 | Usage % | 28.1 | ||
| 60.3 | True shooting % | 61.2 | ||
| 30.0 | Three-point % | 37.6 | ||
| 1.4 | Threes made | 2.7 | ||
| 6.7 | Free throws tried | 5.7 | ||
| +54 | Plus-minus, season | +72 |
Season figures from this season’s box scores. Usage is the share of team possessions a player uses while on court, estimated from the box score. The brighter bar is the better number.
Players to watch
Kyrie Irving’s last five run from 10 to 35. Donovan Mitchell has scored 11 to 37 in his, and James Harden made five of seven threes for 32 points in New York on Wednesday.
Recent Mavericks vs Cavaliers meetings
| Date | Result | Winner | Top scorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Mar 2026 | Mavericks 130, Cavaliers 120 | Mavericks by 10 | Cooper Flagg 27 (Mavericks) · Donovan Mitchell 26 (Cavaliers) |
| 13 Mar 2026 | Cavaliers 138, Mavericks 105 | Cavaliers by 33 | Cooper Flagg 25 (Mavericks) · Evan Mobley 29 (Cavaliers) |
Each club won on the road last March. Cleveland won 138-105 in Dallas on 13 March, and the Mavericks won 130-120 in Cleveland two nights later.
How the last meeting unfolded
In that game the Cavaliers led by as many as 2 and the Mavericks by as many as 21.
Where they shoot from
| Zone | Share | FG% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| At the rim | 26% of shots | 68.5% | |
| Paint | 19% of shots | 47.3% | |
| Mid-range | 12% of shots | 44.4% | |
| Corner three | 9% of shots | 38.5% | |
| Above-break three | 31% of shots | 31.2% |
| Zone | Share | FG% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| At the rim | 30% of shots | 62.5% | |
| Paint | 15% of shots | 42.1% | |
| Mid-range | 7% of shots | 48.1% | |
| Corner three | 8% of shots | 33.3% | |
| Above-break three | 35% of shots | 36.4% |
Every shot this season, by zone. Zones are calculated from the play-by-play coordinates, not official NBA shot zones.
From above the break, Mavericks make 31.2 per cent and Cavaliers 36.4. At the rim it is 68.5 against 62.5.
Score prediction
Cavaliers 113-109 Mavericks. Cleveland is 0-2 on the second night of back-to-backs but 4-2 at home. Dallas is 2-3 on the road. We have the Cavaliers by four.
Mavericks vs Cavaliers prediction
The net ratings are close: Cleveland’s +2.0 ranks 12th and Dallas’s +1.0 ranks 17th.
We lean to Cleveland because it’s the better shooting team and 4-2 at home, but this is the closest of our four Saturday calls, and if the second night catches up with a team that may again be without Mobley, Flagg and Dallas can win it.
Our pick: the Cavaliers to win.
What would change it: if Mobley were ruled out again and Cleveland rested Harden or Mitchell on the second night, we would switch to Dallas.
Every club is rated in our NBA power rankings, and the NBA games tonight page carries Saturday’s other NBA games.
Frequently asked questions
Tip-off is 7:30pm ET on Saturday 14 November 2026 at Rocket Arena, Cleveland.
Neither TSN nor Sportsnet had it listed when we checked, so NBA League Pass is the way to watch.
He was ruled out of Friday’s game in Miami with a sprained toe, on ESPN’s injury feed on 12 November. His status for Saturday comes on the league’s game-day report.
He scored 25 and 27 in last season’s two meetings, both in March.
Cavaliers 113-109. We back Cleveland to win at home.
19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC). Picks are opinion, not advice, and odds change constantly. Availability varies by province. Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 for Ontario residents; see your province’s helpline for resources elsewhere.