Who will take the lead in the series between Dallas and Utah?

The Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz face off in Game 1 of the opener of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The D-Town basketball team finished the regular season in fourth place, with the Mormon State hoopsters right behind.

Dallas Mavericks – Statistics & current form

Luka Doncic was awarded the title of best player in the Western Conference for the final week of the regular season. An award the Slovenian received three times during the season.

Only Karl-Anthony Towns of the Timberwolves and Devin Booker of runners-up Phoenix also have that high number. However, Doncic has cleaned up the most since February, with three of the most recent seven weekly awards going to him!

From this it is easy to see that the “Don” has stepped up noticeably towards the end of the season and is in blinding form in time for the playoffs.

However, he suffered a calf strain in the last game against San Antonio, which means that his appearance is not yet certain and the tendency is that Doncic will miss.

Utah Jazz – Statistics & current form

Utah have picked themselves up as the season draws to a close. After a weak phase, Head Coach Quin Snyder’s team has won four of the last six league games. In terms of personnel, things are looking better again.

Bojan Bogdanović, an important forward, is available again. The Croatian was absent at the end of the regular season against Portland, but his absence was nothing more than a precautionary measure.

Dallas Mavericks – Utah Jazz Tip

The Texans won the last head-to-head meeting just under three weeks ago and scored their second home win in a row against the men from Salt Lake City.

In both games, Luka Doncic not only scored the most points on the court, but also consistently delivered a double-double in points and rebounds for head coach Jason Kidd’s selection. But now he has to pass, which makes the guests the favourites.

For the duel on 16.04.2022 between the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs, however, the bet on more than 20.5 points by Jalen Brunson on the part of the hosts seems to be profitable.

With Doncic out, he will be especially important as a point guard. For this reason, it is to be expected that the 25-year-old will significantly exceed his seasonal scoring value of 16.3 points this time.

Moreover, the upcoming opponent suits him: Already in the last direct duel when Doncic was still on board, Brunson scored 22 points and a double-double in terms of points and rebounds.