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The Utah Jazz take on the Dallas Mavericks. Check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Jazz-Mavericks prediction and pick.
The Utah Jazz continue to defy the prevailing preseason consensus in the NBA. The prevalent line of thought connected to the Jazz before the regular season began was that this team would sink to the bottom of the NBA and not make the playoffs. Without Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz do have a collection of role players rather than a core nucleus of stars in the paint and on the perimeter. Yet, new coach Will Hardy has quickly shown that he can move pieces around a chessboard and also develop players. The Jazz seemingly found a great choice to replace previous coach Quin Snyder, whose run with Gobert and Mitchell had run its course, necessitating a fresh start.
This fresh start doesn't look like a rebuild, however. It looks more like a reimagination of what is possible for this team.
The Jazz have size and length on this roster, so the absence of Gobert on defense — while obviously significant — is not as devastating or decisive as some observers might have first thought. That length is a deterrent on defense, and it definitely helped Utah handcuff the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night in a convincing win. It's on offense where this team figured to struggle a lot, but that hasn't happened. The floor leadership of Mike Conley is part of this, and Jordan Clarkson is certainly an important piece of this team's offensive attack, but the true revelation of the Jazz in the first few weeks of the season is Lauri Markkanen. Unable to find a groove in previous stints with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, Markkanen is a markedly improved player in Utah. Hardy and the coaching staff have brought him along, giving him the tools and the plan to significantly increase his scoring, his offensive efficiency, and his overall impact on the floor. Markkanen is finally living up to his NBA draft position, which raises Utah's ceiling and makes this team a lot more dangerous at the offensive end.
The Dallas Mavericks have a very clear problem: Luka Doncic is not getting enough help in the backcourt or in general. This team really misses Jalen Brunson, who went to the New York Knicks in the offseason. Brunson made it so much easier for Luka to get to the rim because Brunson demanded attention from opposing defenses. You have seen the Mavericks lose to the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this season. Dallas trailed the Orlando Magic by 11 points in the second quarter this past Sunday before rallying to win. This is not an especially good team right now. No top-tier NBA team should struggle to beat bad teams at home.
Here are the Jazz-Mavericks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
NBA Odds: Jazz-Mavericks Odds
Utah Jazz: +6.5 (-112)
Dallas Mavericks: -6.5 (-108)
Over: 222 (-112)
Under: 222 (-108)
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
The Jazz are getting several points, so that is an obvious reason to pick them against the spread. More than that, they are playing great basketball, having just won two straight against the Memphis Grizzlies. Their different roster combinations are working well together. Will Hardy is coaching at a high level. Dallas is not giving Luka Doncic much help. Doncic scored 30 in the first half this past Sunday and 14 in the second half for a 44-point game, but his teammates didn't offer an especially large amount of help. Dallas is limited, and the Jazz's team approach seems to be tailored to this game.
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
The Mavs are due to get better. They have been slumping in the early part of the season. Luka is going to get his teammates involved, because he knows how important that is over the course of a long season. The Jazz are due for regression after sweeping the Grizzlies this past weekend.
Final Jazz-Mavericks Prediction & Pick
The Mavs might win outright, but the Jazz should be able to keep this game close. Utah has been excellent against the spread this season, and until Las Vegas begins to price games differently, taking the Jazz plus the points remains a good bet.
Final Jazz-Mavericks Prediction & Pick: Jazz +6.5
