Mavericks vs. Jazz: NBA Christmas Day Bet Preview

There are five NBA games on the schedule for Christmas Day, but our focus on this one is on the grand finale. The Utah Jazz host the Dallas Mavericks in a huge Western Conference matchup, but a few of the biggest stars will be missing this matchup.

Dallas has gone just 15-15 through their first 30 games of the year, and they are struggling to hold on to a playoff position. The Mavericks have been a consistent playoff threat over the last few years, but this team just hasn’t been able to find consistency this season.

Utah has won 21 of its 30 games, and they are looking like a threat to win the Western Conference this season. The Jazz still have plenty to prove in the postseason, but they are consistently one of the top regular-season teams in the league.

The Utah Jazz are five-point betting favorites over the Dallas Mavericks in the final game on Christmas Day.

No Doncic For Dallas

Luka Doncic is not going to be suiting up for this game due to COVID-19, and he is just one of a handful of Mavericks to be on that list. Doncic leads the team with 25.6 points, eight rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game, and his absence creates a real hole for Dallas. 

The Mavericks have been a great offensive team over the last few seasons, but they haven’t been as explosive in 2021. Dallas is going to struggle to get to the 100 point mark on Saturday, and it’s hard to win in the NBA with that little production.

Terrific Trio Leading the Utah Attack

The Utah Jazz have put together a terrific roster, and it’s a roster that has a number of different players step up. There is an All-Star leading the way in terms of scoring, but this is a team that does all of the important things well.

Donovan Mitchell leads the way with 25 points per game, and he always has the ability to take over on the offensive end. Mike Conley is averaging 5.4 assists per game to set the tone, and Rudy Gobert anchors the defense.

The Jazz don’t do anything flashy, but they just know how to win games in the NBA.

Jazz Take Care of Business at Home

This would be a terrific matchup if both teams were at full strength, but the Mavericks are just missing too many of their offensive weapons. Dallas hasn’t even been scoring the basketball well this season, to begin with, and they are facing a great defense on Saturday night.

Utah just continues to rack up the wins, and they are almost impossible to beat at home. The Jazz just have so many weapons, and they are catching a big break by taking on a Dallas team that will be without their biggest star.

This game has the potential to get out of hand in the second half as the home team is just too talented. Take the Utah Jazz -5.0 as they beat the Dallas Mavericks to cap off a long day of NBA basketball.