Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 18/04/2022, 00:41  by Joseph King | Modified on 18/04/2022 at 07:41 in Basketball Predictions

The Dallas Mavericks are set to welcome the Utah Jazz to the American Airlines Center for game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Mavs will be looking to avoid dropping into a 0-2 hole as the series moves to Utah for games three and four. The Jazz come out victorious in game one with a score of 99-93 thanks to 32 points from superstar Donovan Mitchell and another 26 points chipped in from Bojan Bogdanovic. The result means that Utah has wrestled home court advantage away from Dallas and can potentially build themselves a two game cushion before heading back to Salt Lake City, a venue where the Jazz have been tough to beat this season. The Mavericks will be feeling the pressure here as they look set to be without their superstar and focal point of the offense Luka Doncic for a second consecutive game as he recovers from a calf strain. 

The absence of Doncic changes the entire complexion of this series. The 23-year-old Slovenian is central to everything the Mavericks do on offense and they will need him back in the lineup if they are to stand any chance of advancing past the first round for the first time since the title winning team of 2011. With that being said, oddsmakers tend to overcorrect for the absence of key players in the NBA. Even without Doncic in the lineup for game one, Dallas remained competitive throughout and were able to keep it relatively close. They will be dangerous here in game two with their backs against the wall as they face what could be considered a “must win” game. With a fired up Dallas crowd cheering them on, expect a defiant performance in game two from the Mavs as they fight to even up this series at one game piece while they wait for their talisman to recover.