The Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks go at it again for Game 2 on Monday! With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Jazz-Mavericks prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
The Jazz used a strong third quarter to fend off a Luka Doncic-less Mavericks, 99-93, to take Game 1 in their Western Conference first-round match-up. Donovan Mitchell had a rough first half, scoring just two points, but made up for it with a big 30-point second half. Bojan Bogdanovic also had a huge afternoon with 26 points, 20 of which came in the first half. Rudy Gobert, Utah's other All-Star, missed his lone attempt from the field but finished with 17 rebounds and three blocks to go along with five makes from the foul line.
Dallas valiantly still made it a game despite being without their franchise superstar. Jalen Brunson scored 24 points on 9-of-24 shooting to go with seven rebounds and five assists for the Mavs, while Spencer Dinwiddie had 24 points and eight assists. The Mavs hung around for the most part until a crucial 3-pointer from Utah's Royce O'Neal with 57.3 seconds left gave the Jazz a four-point cushion.
Here is how Fanduel has set the Jazz-Mavericks NBA odds for this Saturday night NBA matchup.
NBA odds: Jazz–Mavericks Odds
Utah Jazz: -5 (-110)
Dallas Mavericks: +5 (-110)
Over: 205 (-110)
Under: 205 (-110)
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Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
These are the same spreads that we saw in Game 1. The Jazz were just able to cover, winning by six points. Utah leaned on Bojan Bogdanovic in the first half with Donovan Mitchell struggling from the field. Bogdanovic scored 20 of his 26 points through the first 24 minutes, making up for Mitchell's two-point, 1-of-9 showing from the field. The 3-time All-Star did pick it up in the third period, where scored 19 points and finished strong with an 11-point fourth quarter to steal homecourt advantage from the Mavericks.
Though Rudy Gobert only had one shot attempt, he still made his presence felt on the boards and on the defensive end. Still, the Mavericks don't have much size to contend with against the Frenchman inside the paint. Utah should get the 7-foot-1 big man more involvement in the offense so he stays engaged on both ends of the floor.
Of course, the big thing for the Jazz is the absence of Luka Doncic. As long as he's out, Utah will remain the favorites for this series and have a good chance of covering the 5-point spread for Game 2.
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
The Mavericks gave a gutsy effort in Game 1 despite playing without their superstar leader Luka Doncic. Dallas kept it close all game long and even had a chance to win, down just one point with a little over a minute remaining. Unfortunately, Doncic's absence during crunch time, where the Slovenian usually makes his magic, proved to be the difference-maker.
Nonetheless, Dallas must feel a bit better considering the way they fought without Doncic. Jalen Brunson was the high man with 24 points, though he did need 24 shots to get there. Spencer Dinwiddie also stepped up with 22 points, but shot just 6-of-15 from the field and missed six of his 16 free throw attempts. Obviously, being thrust as the main offensive option contributed to their struggles from the field. But they've shown the capability of coming up big despite being without Doncic.
Doncic missed 10 straight games in December this season and during this stretch, Brunson proved why he deserved to start, a role he never relinquished from then on. In those 10 games, the lefty averaged 21.0 points and 7.4 assists while shooting an efficient 51.3 percent from the field. Dinwiddie has also thrived since arriving in Dallas. In 23 games, the 29-year-old shot over 49 percent from the field and 40 percent from three. If those two are able to shoot better in Game 2, the Mavs have a chance to get a much-needed split heading back to Salt Lake City.
The Mavericks also had a top-7 defense in the 2021-22 season. Without Doncic, Dallas will need to lean on their defense to get them through this obstacle. They were somewhat able to do that, holding Mitchell to just 10-of-29 shooting, despite him getting hot in the second half. If Dallas is able to contain the 3-time All-Star through 48 minutes, they should be able to at least cover the spread.
Final Jazz–Mavericks Prediction & Pick
I'm banking on the Mavericks to take this game, despite being without Luka Doncic. Brunson and Dinwiddie didn't have particularly efficient nights from the field like they usually do. Also, look for Dallas to look at what they did in the first half to bottle up Donovan Mitchell and execute that defensive game plan throughout the duration of Game 2.
Final Jazz–Mavericks Prediction & Pick: Mavericks: +5 (-110)
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