The Dallas Mavericks may have to begin the 2022 NBA Playoffs without the chief reason they got there. Luka Doncic strained a calf in the regular-season finale and there is no timetable for his return.

That’s horrible news for the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference as they prepare to host Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and the rest of the No. 5 Utah Jazz in Game 1 on Saturday.

Ahead of Game 1, Bookies.com breaks down the series and makes our NBA pick to back on betting apps.

Jazz vs Mavericks Odds

Odds via DraftKings and accurate as of publication.

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Jazz vs Mavericks Betting Tips

Home Cookin’: There is, of course, a built-in homecourt advantage for the higher seed. Based on the regular season, that could come into play here. The Mavericks and Jazz played five times this season, with the home team winning all four matchups. Utah won its home games by 5 and 4 points, Dallas took two at home by 14 and 8.

Covering Side: The teams may have split the wins, but not the covers. The Mavericks covered in all four matchups this season. They were -3.5 and -1 at home, while getting 6.5 and 13 points in Salt Lake City. Game 1 opened at Dallas -1 but the line moved 5.5 points at betting sites with the uncertainty over Doncic's availability.

Stepping Up: Some playoff teams pound the lesser teams on the schedule, some come through in the marquee matchups. The Mavericks are the latter, with a whopping 22-10 ATS mark (68.7%) against teams with above-.550 win percentages. The Jazz? They’re 10-16-2 (34.5%).

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Jazz vs Mavericks Picks

The lines on betting apps flipped dramatically after Doncic's injury. He may be ready sooner than later or miss the entire series. It makes for a challenging series pick. NBA betting oddsmakers have the Jazz at -280 to win the series and the Mavs at +210.

Dallas was 8-9 without Doncic, but it’s not as rosy as that. Against playoff-level competition, they were 0-5. Against teams in the play-in bracket, 1-2, and 7-2 vs. non-playoff teams. All five losses were by single digits, showing the Mavs can compete. But when it comes to winning, they haven’t proven anything.

Statistically, the Jazz have the makeup of a team with the potential to make a deep run in the NBA Playoffs. If they can get one of the opening games at Dallas – or both – Utah can get out of this series.

Our Pick: Take the Jazz to win the series at -280 at DraftKings or FanDuel.

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Jazz vs Mavericks Schedule

Game 1: April 16, Utah at Dallas, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN

Game 2: April 18, Utah at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBATV

Game 3: April 21, Dallas at Utah, 9 p.m. ET, NBATV

Game 4: April 23, Dallas at Utah, 4:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Games 5-7: TBD if necessary