The NBA continues on Saturday night with a matchup of two teams out West. The Dallas Mavericks (26-24) will travel to Salt Lake City to play the Utah Jazz (25-26). You won't want to miss this NBA nightcap. Check out our NBA odds series for our Mavericks-Jazz prediction and pick.
The Dallas Mavericks are sitting firmly towards the top of the Western Conference standings. They've slightly slipped in the standings after winning just three of their last ten games. More bad news came as Luka Doncic was ruled out for this game with an ankle sprain he suffered Thursday. They'll also be without center Christian Wood for this one. As they look to advance up the rankings, the Mavericks will try to take down Utah in their own arena.
The Utah Jazz have been able to turn their fortunes around and win a cluster of games the last month. Following a few rough stretches of games marred by losses, the Jazz continue their quest to stay in playoff contention in the Western Conference. They've been a much better team at home as Vivint Arena continues to be one of the tougher places to play in the NBA. They'll look to secure a win and defend home-court in this game against the Mavericks.
Here are the Mavericks-Jazz NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Mavericks-Jazz Odds
Dallas Mavericks: +7.5 (-108)
Utah Jazz: -7.5 (-112)
Over: 224 (-110)
Under: 224 (-110)
How To Watch Mavericks vs. Jazz
TV: Regional Coverage
Stream: fuboTV, NBA League Pass
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
The most important note in this game for the Mavericks is that they will be without MVP-frontrunner Luka Doncic. He's been every bit of the generational talent people expect him to be, so there's no question that this Dallas team will have to find answers when he's unavailable to play. Spencer Dinwiddie has stepped up in a big way and was able to score 36 points in their last victory against the Suns.
Tim Hardaway Jr. will be tasked with scoring the basketball and providing options for his teammates. With Christian Wood sidelined as well, the Mavericks must rely on Dwight Powell to offer a presence inside. Dallas has been horrendous against the spread, only going 17-31 overall. Without Luka, they'll need some magic to improve their ATS record in this one.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
The Utah Jazz continue to be a successful team when playing at home, the crowd seems to boost their defense and their shooters love to let if fly on the home rims. Lauri Markkanen has been an excellent addition to the squad in the wake of Donovan Mitchell's departure. He's leading the team with 24.8 PPG while also averaging a leading 8.7 RPG. Much of their game plan runs through him, so look for the Jazz to get the ball early to Markkanen.
The Jazz have covered the majority of their games, going 28-23 ATS overall. They cover at home as well and are usually winning when they are the favored team. They've had success playing in their building as of late, so this will be the biggest factor for the Jazz as they don't have the added pressure of having to play against Doncic.
Final Mavericks-Jazz Prediction & Pick
The Dallas Mavericks are awful at covering the spread. The Utah Jazz do a fairly good job and are even better at home. Without Luka Doncic, look for the Jazz to cover here.
Final Mavericks-Jazz Prediction & Pick: Utah Jazz -7.5 (-112)
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