Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz Betting Prediction and Odds April 18
Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz Picks and Betting Preview
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz betting preview for Monday, April 18. At the time of posting, Utah has opened as a 5.5-point road favorite over the home Mavericks, with the total sitting at 206 points.
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| Monday, April 18 | NBA Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Dallas Mavericks +5.5 vs Utah Jazz |
| Total: | 206 Points |
| Game Time: | 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT |
| Arena: | American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX |
| TV: | NBA TV |
Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz Analysis
The Jazz took game one with a six point victory in a low scoring game ending at 99-93, and the books have not done much adjusting to their lines with the news that the Mavs won’t have Luka again.
The spread is Utah -5.5 and the total is down to 206 so the books are expecting a repeat of game one, but what’s the best bet in this game?
Utah Takes Advantage
Utah gets the half point cover in game one, and they could look at game one a couple of different ways. They could be discouraged that they barely beat a Dallas team without their superstar, or they could look at it as they got a playoff win in a game they didn’t really play that well in.
Mitchell scored 32 points, but was only 10-29 from the field, and Gobert made 0 field goals. Their bench contributed 58 minutes and 20 points as we see truly what the team thinks of their own supporting cast as the playoffs are do or die and teams only play those they trust.
Four starters played 35 minutes or more and two played over 40 minutes (Mitchell and Bogdonovic). This rotation should look the same, but for Utah to only go 7-22 from threes and to score only 99 points and still get the win is a positive sign for them in my opinion
No Luka, No Chance
The numbers are pretty bleak without Luka in game one as it’s really exposed the lack of depth on this team.
Only three bench players played and they contributed only 14 points which means they’re relying on Dinwiddie and Brunson to put up big numbers, and that’s not a spot you want to be in in the playoffs.
I’m looking for areas they can improve on tonight, and they can do better than 28.1% from three point range, but it will be tough as this team now doesn’t have their best shot creator and best passer.
Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz Prediction
I think Utah can improve more than Dallas can from game one to game two, so I’ll play Utah to cover again the -5.5. Donovan Mitchell can play better, Gobert can score more, and Dallas is probably the one team left in the playoffs that Utah has a bench advantage over.
Maybe this is a square play and Dallas rallies at home, but I don’t see where the improvement comes from unless one of their players has a career game tonight. I’ll take Utah to go up 2-0 and cover the spread.
Prediction: Utah Jazz -5.5
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NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Monday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz contest.
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Meet the Author
Andy Lang has lived in Indianapolis his whole life, and like most people from the Hoosier State, he became fascinated with motor sports. That interest in motor sports turned into a desire to make money off the sport through fantasy contests and sports betting. Like most, he took his lumps when he first got started, but now he is one of the most respected NASCAR bettors in the industry. Andy has expanded that sports betting experience to become profitable in a number of other sports, transforming this interest from a side hobby to a major source of income.
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