Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks will face each other in Game 6 of the NBA playoffs. The hosts look forward to bouncing back and extending the series after their poor display on Monday. The away side searches for another victory that would see them progress to the quarter-finals.
Utah is in a tough situation, not just because they are 3-2 down, but since their form is bad. The home side needs to improve to increase its chances of moving the series to Dallas. On the other hand, the visitors are full of confidence, and they want to take advantage of their momentum. Dallas hopes to repeat their latest performance and progress to the next round.
Utah Jazz – Can they improve their game?
The Jazz cannot do much worse than their display on Monday evening when they suffered a 102-77 defeat. They were 16 points down already at halftime at American Airlines Center, and it was very hard for them to get back to the game. It was their third defeat in the last four games, and the hosts need to win to stay alive in this series. Utah hit only 10% of their three-pointer shots in the most recent match, while their field goal percentage remained at 37.7. Considering they were inferior in the paint, the Jazz couldn’t hope for a better result.
Donovan Mitchell has contributed the most to Utah’s offense by scoring 26 points per game, followed by a team-high five assists and 3.6 rebounds. Jordan Clarkson produces 18 pts, while Bojan Bogdanovic averages 17.8 and 4.2 rebs. Rudy Gobert tops the team’s rebounds charts with 13.4 while being the last Utah player to average a double-digit number of points, scoring 12.4 per contest. The home side won’t count on Trent Forrest for this encounter, while Donovan Mitchell is doubtful, and his absence would be a major blow for the Jazz.
Expected Line-Up: Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale, Rudy Gobert
with best odds
Dallas Mavericks – Will they continue the momentum?
Despite being 1-0 down after Game 1, the Mavericks managed to bounce back and grab a 3-2 lead in this series. They are now just one victory away from booking the ticket for the quarter-finals. The momentum is on their side since they head to Game 6 after a confident 102-77 success. Dallas was excellent in defense again, and that was the main factor of a convincing victory. On the other hand, the Mavs’ percentages were not too impressive but still good enough to keep the opponent far. Dallas was also better in the paint, with nine rebounds more than the Jazz, while they also made two turnovers less.
Luka Doncic is back on the roster, and his contribution has been enormous, with 31.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and one steal per contest. Jalen Brunson has also contributed a lot to the Mavs’ offense, with 28.6 pts, 5.2 rebs, and 4.6 assists per match, while Spencer Dinwiddie scores 14.6 pts per game and has a team-high 4.8 assists. Dorian Finney-Smith averages 12.2 points, while Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber produce 11+ points each. Thanks to a clean bill of health, the Mavs shouldn’t have any selection issues ahead of this game.
Expected Line-Up: Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson, Reggie Bullock, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell
Expert Pick #1 – Dallas Mavericks +1 @-110
Although the bookies consider Utah as favorites in this encounter, I believe the Mavericks should win this game and proceed to the quarter-finals. I’m going to back the visitors ATS as my first pick, and they should capitalize on being in a better momentum.
Expert Pick #2 – Under 209.5 @-110
Both teams have been disciplined in defense throughout the season, and I don’t expect a much different situation here. Although the margin is quite low, I don’t see these two teams producing more than 209 points in total. Give me the Under as the second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Utah Jazz Under 105.5 @-125
The Jazz had terrible numbers on Monday, and I don’t expect them to improve enough to score more than 105 points. They managed to do that just once during this series, and considering Dallas is very tight in the back, I’ll back the Under as the third pick at slightly lower odds.
