Expert Top Pick of the Day: Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks
The Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks will shift their series to American Airlines Center for Game 5, with the series now tied at two games apiece.
The Jazz came close to going down 3-1 but got a last-second victory at home on Saturday 100-99. They led by 16 points in the first half, but Dallas came from behind to lead 99-98 before Rudy Gobert scored on an alley-oop with 11 seconds to go in the game to get the win.
Utah didn’t shoot well again in this game, only making 40.5% of their field goals but only committing eight turnovers. Jordan Clarkson came off the bench and led the Jazz with 25 points, followed by Donovan Mitchell with 23 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and two steals. Luka Doncic returned for Game 4 for Dallas and scored a game-high 30 points.
Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks Schedule
- Date: Monday, April 25, 2022
- Time: 08:30 PM CDT
- Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Jazz Seek Second Straight
The Jazz came within seconds of going down 3-1 in the series and now have a chance to take the lead. However, their scoring has been down in the first round, as they are averaging 105.3 points per game and shooting 46% from the field.
Mitchell is the leading scorer with 30.3 points and has added six assists and four rebounds in the first four playoff games.
The Jazz have relied on their solid defense all season long and now have to deal with Doncic, who has averaged 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 7.7 assists against them in eight games this season.
They must also start limiting their turnovers, as they’ve given the ball away 46 times in the series, with Dallas only committing 29 turnovers so far.
Mavs’ Shooting Will Improve at Home
The Mavericks shot poorly in the loss in game four on Saturday, only making 42.9% of their shots, although they had 15 three-pointers.
The team still came up short, even with the return of Doncic, who played well in his first game back from a thigh injury. They are averaging 107 points per game so far in the playoffs.
Jalen Brunson took over as the number one option for Dallas while their All-Star point guard was injured, averaging 29.8 points, 4.8 assists, and 5.3 rebounds in the series.
For him to step up and lead the team to two wins in three games without Doncic in the lineup can’t be overlooked as the team moves forward.
Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks Odds Comparison
The Jazz are 1-8 against the spread in their last nine games against Dallas, and the total has gone under in four of their previous six games.
The Mavericks are 9-2-1 against the spread in their last 12 games, and they are 7-1 straight up in their last eight games at home.
- DraftKings has Dallas at -150 on a spread of -3, and the game total is 213.
- FanDuel has Dallas at -152 on a spread of -3, and the total is 212.5.
- Caesars has Dallas at -150 on a spread of -3, and the total is 212.5.
Godds Pick or Prediction of the Game
The Mavs were hoping to be playing to win the series in tonight’s game but are expecting to take the next two games with their superstar point guard back in the lineup on their home floor.
Utah must play great defense in this game against Dallas if they hope to take the series lead.Godds Pick/Prediction: The Mavericks will win, and the total goes over.