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Mavericks vs Jazz Game 3 Odds, Spread and Predictions

Eric Rosales

by Eric Rosales in NBA Basketball

Updated Apr 20, 2022 · 7:55 PM PDT

Donovan Mitchell arms out
Nov 2, 2021; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) hushes the crowd as center Rudy Gobert (27) (not pictured) shoots a free throw in the final seconds on the game at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
  • Tied 1-1, the Dallas Mavericks take on the Utah Jazz in Game 3 of their best-of-7 series
  • Luka Doncic (calf) has yet to play in the series and is listed as questionable Thursday
  • See the Mavericks vs Jazz Game 3 odds and preview and prediction below

A pair of unheralded efforts helped the Dallas Mavericks salvage a split at home in their best-of-7 opening round series against the Utah Jazz.

With sidelined superstar Luka Doncic on the brink of returning, we’ll find out how the Jazz respond as the series shifts to Salt Lake City.

Still, with no confirmation yet of Luka’s status, Utah is currently sitting as a 7-point favorite Thursday night at Vivint Arena. It all gets underway at 9pm ET, and the game can be seen live on NBA TV.

Mavericks vs Jazz Game 3 Odds

Team Moneyline Spread Total
Dallas Mavericks +240 +7.0 (-110) Ov 210.5 (-110)
Utah Jazz -300 -7.0 (-110) Un 210.5 (-110)

Odds as of April 20th at Caesars Sportsbook

Injury Report

The outcome of this series undoubtedly hinges on Doncic’s left calf, which he strained in the final game of the regular season and has kept him in street clothes through the first two games of this series.

Perhaps even better than Dallas evening up the series in Game 2 is that Doncic’s rehab s going well, and though he’s listed as questionable Thursday, there’s still a legit chance he suits up in Game 3.

Backcourt mate Tim Hardaway Jr (foot) is out till at least May, while Frank Ntilikina (mouth), is a game-time decision.

Mavericks Betting Analysis

What a time for Jalen Brunson to go bonkers. His career-high 41 points could not have come at a better time, as he paced the Mavericks to an important 110-104 win in Game 2.

Brunson joins an elite group of Mavericks to drop a 40-bomb in the postseason, and the only one to ever hit that mark without committing a single turnover. Doncic, Dirk Nowitzki, Rolando Blackman and Nick Van Exel are the others.

He wasn’t alone in the heroics, as Maxi Kleber came in off the bench to pump in 25 points, including a sparkling 8-for-11 mark from downtown.

As a team, the Mavs set a franchise record with 22 three-pointers made, while also taking great care of the ball, turning the ball over just three times all game, also a Dallas-best mark.

The three-ball has helped the Mavs stay afloat minus Doncic: they’re hitting at a 39.2% clip, which is sixth-best in the playoffs. They’re 14th overall in field goal shooting, though, at 42.8%.

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Jazz Betting Analysis

It was a missed opportunity for Utah to take command of the series, and we may get a glimpse into what kind of team psyche Utah possesses in Game 3. This is a team that staggered to the finish at 4-7, and they barely hung on to beat the Doncic-less Mavs 99-93 in Game 1.

In the Game 2 loss, Donovan Mitchell led the team with 34 points and five assists.  Bojan Bogdanovic had 25 points and five boards. Rudy Gobert had eight points, 17 rebounds and a pair of blocks.

Despite those totals, every Utah starter had a negative plus-minus, with four at -10 or better.

Only Mike Conley (-7) was in single digits, then again, he failed to score a point, going 0-for-7 from the field with three assists.

The Jazz, who had the top offensive rating in the NBA and were seventh in league scoring at 113.6 points a game, have yet to find their footing in the playoffs. They are putting up just 101.5 points a game through Games 1 and 2.

Mavericks vs Jazz Prediction

Just a .500 team on the road, Utah is a far different foe in the confines of Vivint Arena. They finished 29-12 at home this season, and are a stout 9-4-2 against the spread at home in their last 15.

However, the Jazz have now dropped to 0-5 ATS in their last five head-to-heads with the Mavericks. Dallas is also 8-3 ATS as an underdog, but that figure features Doncic heavily.

Dallas has shown their 4th-ranked scoring defense is for real, though, and can keep them in games.

I actually think Dallas’ Game 2 win gives them the cushion to sit Luka one more game, if necessary. With him in the lineup, Dallas to cover is a no-brainer.

But as this series has played out so far, it’s still my pick without him.

The Pick: Mavericks +7 (-110)

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