The Mavericks are reportedly not entertaining trade offers for Kyrie Irving. They’re curious to see what they can do with this duo of Cooper Flagg and Irving, and we’ll see some more that tonight as they host the Jazz. The Mavs will have the chance to move to 2-0 in NBA Cup group play, while the Jazz arrive with a 1-7 record despite entering the season with competitive ambitions. Unfortunately for them, no dice so far.
Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center. Dallas is a 7.5-point favorite at -106 on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total at 226.5. Utah remains without Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic, leaving its frontcourt short on defensive options. Dallas is missing Dereck Lively II, while Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, and Santi Aldama are probable. The teams split last season’s four meetings, with the home team winning each time.
Let’s break down tonight’s matchup.
Utah Jazz at Dallas Mavericks preview, prediction
It’s hard not to feel for Jazz fans. This was supposed to be the season Utah started seriously competing again, and instead, injuries have compromised the roster before they could get any momentum. Still, availability doesn’t explain everything. The Jazz rank 29th offensively and 27th in three-point percentage at 31.5%, with rookie Darryn Peterson still adjusting to NBA shot selection. There should be enough scoring talent here to get this offense out of the well eventually. Keyonte George supplied 39 points in Wednesday’s 120-113 overtime loss to New Orleans, yet Utah still suffered its sixth straight loss. Lauri Markkanen contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds while managing wrist pain and spending time at center. That’s a difficult combination of responsibilities for someone Utah needs producing offensively. It should get better once Jackson Jr. returns, but for now, they’ll have to navigate life without him.
Dallas, on the other hand, are in much better spirits watching Cooper Flagg blossom in front of them. It almost feels like divine reimbursement following the messy and painful trade sending beloved franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to LA, and if karma were real, landing Flagg right after losing Doncic would be the universe’s way of giving something back to Dallas after Nico Harrison’s transgression. Flagg is putting up 24.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 6.3 APG in his second season at age 20. There’s been some bumps, but he’s been pretty stellar so far as the future of this team. Kyrie Irving is adding 22.7 PPG and 4.8 APG through six games, shooting 47.5% from the field and 38.2% from three; an encouraging bounce-back after missing all of last season recovering from a torn ACL. Irving’s scoring and playmaking duties give Flagg nice support right now.
Jazz at Mavericks pick, best bet
I like Dallas’ ability to force Utah defend more than one creator within the same possession. Flagg can initiate, draw attention, and move the ball to Irving, who can attack a shifting defense or punish space with his ridiculously deep scoring bag. Irving can stretch the floor, make good reads, attack the rim, or operate out of the post. He can also make any layup you can imagine. Utah can’t simply crowd Flagg.
The missing frontcourt pieces make Utah’s decisions harder. Without Jackson and Nurkic, Utah has fewer options for providing help behind its perimeter defenders. Bringing extra attention toward Irving risks leaving another defender responsible for Flagg’s size. The Mavericks rank third in midrange accuracy at 49.6%, giving them another way to punish defenses.
There are reasons to respect the Jazz, though. Dallas is allowing 14.9 offensive rebounds per game, ranking 29th, while Utah collects 13.0, ranking 12th. Extra possessions could keep the Jazz close even if their initial offense struggles. Their shooting also won’t necessarily remain this cold, and an eight-game sample is still too small to declare the Jazz a dumpster fire.
Still, Irving’s presence has mattered a lot. Dallas is 4-2 in his six appearances, including wins over Miami, Oklahoma City, and Houston. Against a depleted Utah team struggling to produce efficient offense, I trust Dallas to create enough separation. At -106, laying 7.5 points is the play.
