Dallas Needs it – Jazz at Mavericks

Utah Jazz (47-30 SU, 38-39 ATS) at Dallas Mavericks (46-31 SU, 37-40 ATS)

 BetOnline NBA Basketball Sports Betting Odds:  DALLAS -3, Total 208

Here are some of the NBA pro basketball sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* UTAH has covered one of its last seven games
* UTAH has won 18 of its last 25 games SU
* UTAH has played four of its last five games OVER the total
* UTAH has played 15 of its last 23 games UNDER the total
* UTAH has lost six of its last eight road games SU
* UTAH has covered two of its last eight road games
* DALL has covered two of its last six games
* DALL has played four of its last six games UNDER the total
* DALL has covered eight of its last 12 home games
* DALL has won 11 of its last 12 home games SU
* DALL has played eight of its last ten home games OVER the total

Also…

* UTAH has covered five of the last six meetings
* UTAH has won four of the last six meetings SU
* Four of the last six meetings have gone UNDER the total
* DALL has covered eight of the last 11 meetings as the home team
* DALL has won ten of the last 11 meetings SU as the home team
* Five of the last six meetings in Dallas have gone OVER the total
* UTAH has has had the shooting edge in each of the last eight meetings
* UTAH has had the rebounding edge in four of the last five meetings

Dallas has done very well against the Jazz at the American Airlines Center, winning 11 of the last 12 meetings. With three wins in their last four games, the Mavs look like they are looking to end all the suspense about who is going to be occupying the eighth spot in the Western Conference, as they can actually clinch a berth tonight. The Phoenix Suns are, in all likelihood, not going to mount a charge to overtake Dallas at this point, but what be more important for Rick Carlyle’s team right now is moving up. They can earn a tie with the Jazz if they win this game, and New Orleans, currently in the #6 spot, is not completely out of their reach.

Utah has hardly been playing as well as expected. The Jazz won at New Orleans on Sunday, but prior to that had dropped six straight games to the number, and they allowed more than 100 points five consecutive times. On the road, they have beaten only the Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder since March 11.

Carlos Boozer, who was plagued with injuries earlier in the season, has not been playing well for Utah. In 14 games in March, he shot just 47% and averaged 15.4 points. In the three games he has played in the month of April, Boozer has been just a 31% shooter averaging ten points. What has helped them from completely crumbling is the play of Deron Williams, who has registered 99 assists and just 19 turnovers in his last nine games.

Utah needs to get its act together on defense. The Jazz has allowed 53% shooting over the last five games, and that plays right into the strength of Jason Terry, Dirk Nowitzki and the rest of the Mavs, who lit up the scoreboard for 60% shooting and 140 points against Phoenix on Sunday. We’re laying the points with Dallas, the three-point favorite in the BetOnline NBA pro basketball sports betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY:  DALLAS -3 ***
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)