Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks NBA Playoff Picks, Predictions, and Odds: Game 2

After a very close Game 1 which could’ve gone on either side, the Jazz ultimately enter Game 2 with a lead in the series. The main question ahead of this game remains whether Luka Doncic will play, but the Mavs showed that they can be competitive without him too.

The Jazz vs Mavericks series in the 2022 NBA playoffs have started with a win for Utah, which was expected after it was announced that the Mavs will be without Luka Doncic. However, the game was probably closer that the Jazz fans would’ve liked considering the situation, but, at the end, the team managed to steal an away game right at the start of the series.

Utah Jazz Stats:

Record (Regular Season + Playoffs): 50-33

ATS: 34-45-4

Over/Under: 37-44-2

Meanwhile, the Mavs proved that they are not a one-man team, despite the fact that they ultimately lost Game 1. Whether Luka Doncic will play in Game 2 is still up in the air, although it’s likely that he will miss another game, so the Mavericks will have to manage without him and win if they don’t want to go down 2-0 after two games at home.

Dallas Mavericks Stats:

Record (Regular Season + Playoffs): 52-31

ATS: 46-36-1

Over/Under: 31-51-1

So, here are my picks and predictions for Monday’s NBA matchup between the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks.

Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks Game Info

Date/Time: Monday, April 18, 2022, 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBA TV (watch the game online)
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks Game 2 Odds Analysis

Once again, the Jazz are the favorites to win the game despite the fact that Dallas is hosting the game, which was also the case in Game 1 of the series. In fact, the spread is once again 5.5 points, which the Jazz barely covered in Game 1 since they won by six points. Of course, if we hear news that Luka Doncic might play, the spread will likely change dramatically.

Meanwhile, the odds for Jazz vs Mavericks Game 2 when it comes to total points are right where we expected them to be. After the line was set at 209.5 total points for the first game, that dropped to 205.5 total points for Game 2 after we saw just 192 points in Game 1.

Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks Game 2 Picks

Now that we’ve covered some of the key stats for Game 2, it’s time to check our NBA betting picks for the Jazz vs Mavericks duel:

Utah Jazz to Cover the Spread (-5.5) @ -110 (Odds via Caesars)

The situation ahead of Game 2 of the series is pretty much the same as it was ahead of Game 1 – the Mavericks are likely going to be without their superstar Luka Doncic once again, which puts Jazz in the driver’s seat for this game too. In fact, even the spread is the same and we can see the Jazz covering it.

That being said, the Jazz barely covered the spread in Game 1 and that only happened after an exciting finish. One possession could’ve made the difference and tipped the scale in the Mavs’ favor. So, Dallas can seemingly keep up with Utah even without Doncic, but we wouldn’t bet on them in this game either.

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Under 205.5 Total Points @ -110 (Odds via BetMGM)

We were pretty confident in our prediction for Game 1 and it turned out that we were right when we said that we expect the game to go under. Now, the line has been decreased to 205.5 total points, which does seem low until you consider the fact that Game 1 ended with 192 points being scored.

So, we expect Game 2 to go under as well, especially if Doncic ends up missing this game as well. Both teams are among the best in the league in defensive rating and without Doncic, the Mavericks have to rely on their defense if they want to stay competitive in Game 2.

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Our Bonus Player Prop Pick: Jalen Brunson Over 22.5 Total Points @ -120 (Odds via FanDuel)

We went with Brunson to go over in the first game and we were not wrong since Brunson ended that game with 24 points. And while the line has increased by two points compared to Game 1, we would still go with Jalen Brunson since he is clearly the most potent offensive weapon in Dallas when Doncic is out.

Since we suspect that Luka Doncic will miss Game 2 as well, we can see Brunson taking the reins in Game 2 as well, but even if Doncic surprisingly takes the court, Brunson is the second-best scorer in the team and he can go over even when playing besides Doncic.

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