11/7 Utah vs. Dallas
7:00 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass
Opponent record: 2-7
Season series: Jazz lead 1-0
The last time the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks faced off, it wasn’t exactly a dominant win for the Jazz, but it was a solid one as they came away with a 113-104 victory which saw them outscore the Mavs in every quarter save the second. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert led the charge for the Jazz in what was a well-rounded effort.
The Mavericks’ 2-7 record isn’t pretty, but I definitely think they’re better than that mark represents. They’ve been competitive in pretty much every game they’ve been in, including against some talented teams. They recently took the San Antonio Spurs to overtime and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers by a mere point.
Between the likes of rookie Luka Doncic and up-and-coming Dennis Smith Jr., the Mavs have some intriguing skill on their roster. That said, I don’t believe this is a playoff team and Utah most definitely should be able to take advantage of a less talented squad.
Depending on what happens on Monday against Toronto, this could very well be Utah’s first home victory. That would mean they’d started the year 0-4 at home (they’re 0-3 right now), which would be a poor sign and mean that Wednesday’s potential win over Dallas would be a long overdue home victory. Hopefully Utah can pull it off, and I’m optimistic that they will.
Especially considering that this will be the second night of a back-to-back for Dallas, the Jazz should be refreshed, focused and primed to earn a much-needed win over an inferior and tired team.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 120, Dallas 106