Dallas Mavericks vs. Utah Jazz: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 2/6/2023

Time: 9 p.m. ET

Venue: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT

Where to watch: ATTSN-RM, BSSW-DAL

DraftKings: Jazz -9.5

FanDuel: Jazz -9

BetMGM: Jazz -9.5

Caesars: Jazz -9

Mavs: 28-26

Jazz: 27-27

The All-Stars have been announced, the trade deadline is days away, and the NBA season has never seen so much parity and intrigue than it has at this moment. All you need to do is look at the Western Conference and laugh with a hearty burst at how ridiculous this season has been. You know what's not ridiculous? Our champion handicappers continuing to kill it on the NBA level over the last 30 days. All you need to do is take one look at what they're doing and see that this is the place to be as we purge through the second half of the season. Doc's Sports has been tremendous over the last month with a 17-8-0 run and net profit of $8,100. Team Del Genio has also been very good at an 11-6-1 run that has made for some very exciting runs near to the top. Basketball is taking full swing with football about to be set on the back burner, and you want to be locked in at bigal.com. Take advantage of our Best Bets page at bigal.com to see what our champion handicappers bring to the table. Make sure you're following winners at bigal.com and get that same kind of money in your pocket.

Mavs: lost 119-113 at Warriors

Jazz: lost 115-108 vs. Hawks

Kyrie Irving is a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Let that sink in once, twice or even three times. Kyrie Irving is going to Dallas. I don’t think that part has settled in yet with the understanding that this could go either amazingly, or it could go completely up in flames. Yes, Kyrie Irving is now a backcourt mate with Luka Doncic. I wouldn’t want Kyrie near Luka with a 39.5-foot pole, but I digress.

 

Yes, that will be happening soon, maybe as early as Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers. But Monday could be the darkest day of the Mavericks’ season with no Luka, no Kyrie, no Dorian Finney-Smith, no Spencer Dinwiddie, nobody whatsoever, when they visit Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz in the first day post-Kyrie trade.

 

Yes, Finney-Smith and Dinwiddie are on their way to Brooklyn to pave the way for Kyrie to come to Dallas. That’s two starters, who weren’t moving the needle, but two players that were reliable for Luka. But now that they’re gone, the Mavs are likely not done in the trade market either. What that means as far as the likes of Christian Wood or anyone else remains to be seen. But the Mavs are coming off a 119-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors (while shorthanded) and nearly made a comeback once Steph Curry hurt his leg.

 

In what would be their last games as Mavs players, Dinwiddie scored a team-high 25 points on 9 of 17 shooting, and Finney-Smith had 18 points and nine rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr., who could also be on his way out sooner than later, had 22 points, and Josh Green (now likely taking those DFS minutes) had 12 points and four assists.

 

"They're pros. They want to prove they can compete, or they deserve to get more minutes. They want to prove to their teammates and coaches that they should be out there more," coach Jason Kidd said, according to mavs.com.

 

"And the other side of that is there's nothing to lose. You're scheduled to lose this game because your star player isn't playing. And so, you have that mentality of nothing to lose, you're a little looser, the basket gets bigger and you probably have a little more fun. And sometimes, there's just a letdown because the other star isn't playing."

 

The Mavs were in full desperation mode to add a second star alongside Doncic, and they did that with Irving. For all the hoopla that I’ve said about him, the fact is he’s averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds this season to be an All-Star starter. He’s immediately right next to Luka as the piece for Dallas to try and make something happen.

 

But the Mavs, as mentioned, will have a very short bench in this matchup against the upstart Jazz led by All-Star reserve Lauri Markkanen. The Jazz are coming off a 115-108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday despite them going 7-4 in their last 11 since Jan. 10.

 

"I think it's a good look," Markkanen said. "It's gonna be a tough matchup. And we just got to be able to dominate the rebounds with that lineup, so we'll get better."

 

I can’t envision the Mavs winning this game, but I am intrigued to see the young bucks in the lineup. This has to mean we see more Jaden Hardy and Josh Green. That’s what we need as connoisseurs of the Mavs. And then when it hits Wednesday, watch out. It’s going to be nuts. Jazz 115, Mavs 100

Mavs are 7-8 ATS as an underdog this season.

Mavs are 6-10 ATS off a road loss this season.

Jazz are 15-11 ATS at home this season.

Jazz are 14-5 ATS off an under this season.

PG: McKinley Wright IV

SG: Tim Hardaway Jr. 

SF: Josh Green

PF: Reggie Bullock

C: Dwight Powell

PG: Mike Conley

SG: Jordan Clarkson

SF: Lauri Markkanen

PF: Rudy Gay

C: Walker Kessler

Injury report

Mavs: Luka Doncic (heel, out), Kyrie Irving (trade, out), Christian Wood (thumb, questionable), Davis Bertans (calf, out), Markieff Morris (trade, out)

Points: Luka Doncic -- 33.4

Rebounds: Luka Doncic -- 8.9

Assists: Luka Doncic -- 8.2

Points: Lauri Markkanen -- 24.9

Rebounds: Lauri Markkanen -- 8.7

Assists: Mike Conley -- 7.6