Mavericks vs. Jazz Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for Thursday, Nov. 14

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the Dallas Mavericks-Utah Jazz matchup in the NBA on Thursday.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts with Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Just one matchup in the NBA today? Might as well consider betting on it! 

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are looking to snap a three-game losing streak on Thursday night against the Utah Jazz (2-8) and Lauri Markkanen. 

Utah and Dallas played earlier this season, with the Mavs pulling out an eight-point home win. 

The Jazz (dead last in the NBA in net rating) have really struggled to get going early on this season, and they’ve gotten some poor shooting out of players like Markkanen and Keyonte George that were supposed to play crucial roles this season. 

Oddsmakers have favored Dallas by nine points in this matchup, but should we trust it to cover even though it's just 5-6 straight up this season?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, key players to watch and my best bet for Thursday’s standalone contest. 

Mavericks vs. Jazz Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Mavericks -9 (-112)
• Jazz +9 (-108)

Moneyline

• Mavericks: -395
• Jazz: +310

Total

• 231 (Over -110/Under -110)

Mavericks vs. Jazz How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, Nov. 14
• Time: 9:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Delta Center
• How to Watch (TV): NBA TV
• Mavs record: 5-6
• Jazz record: 2-8

Mavericks vs. Jazz Injury Reports

Mavs Injury Report

• Dante Exum – out
• PJ Washington – doubtful
• Jazian Gortman – out
• Luka Doncic – probable

Jazz Injury Report

• Taylor Hendricks – out
• Walker Kessler – out
• Micah Potter – out
• Jason Preston – out
• Oscar Tshiebwe – out
• Collin Sexton – available

Mavericks vs. Jazz Key Players to Watch

Dallas Mavericks 

Luka Doncic: Utah slowed Doncic down earlier this season, holding him to just 5-for-22 shooting in an eight-point win for the Mavs at home. Can Luka have a big game on Thursday? Utah does rank just 27th in the league in defensive rating, and Doncic has five 30-point games (or more) on the season. He’s a solid bounce-back candidate in the prop market. 

Utah Jazz

Lauri Markkanen: It’s been a slow start to the season for Lauri Markkane, as he’s averaging just 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 38.9 percent from the field. He scored 17 points on 4-of-15 shooting in the matchup with Dallas earlier this season. 

Mavericks vs. Jazz Prediction and Pick

The Jazz have looked a little better as of late despite their 2-8 record, beating the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs while losing two other games by three (against Milwaukee) and eight (against Phoenix) over a four-game stretch.

Traditionally a great home team, Utah is just 1-4 against the spread as home dog this season, losing those games by an average margin of 17.2 points per game. 

So, should we trust it to cover this spread?

I’m not sold. 

The Jazz rank 27th in the NBA in defensive rating, and now they won’t have their anchor down low – center Walker Kessler – available in this matchup.

Dallas, on the other hand, is No. 10 in the league in defensive rating and already has an eight-point win over Utah this season. That win came in Luka Doncic’s worst game of the season (he shot just 5-for-22 as mentioned above), so I’m going to buy low on Dallas here.

The Mavs have dropped three games in a row, but with Derek Lively II back from injury, they are the superior team in this matchup. 

Pick: Mavericks -9 (-112)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.