NBA Saturday: Luka and Kristaps hope to make a statement in Utah as the Mavericks battle the hot Jazz

3-0 Friday, 75-76-1 overall

Mavericks (+3.5) @ Jazz (226)

Pick: Mavericks +3.5

Who are we to hold grudges? We may have lost on Dallas on Tuesday night against the Clippers, but we’ll go back to the well with a similar handicap of today’s game for Luka Doncic and company in Salt Lake City. Dallas is new to the party as far as Western Conference contenders are concerned with Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis playing together for the first time this season. How serious of a contender the Mavs are remains to be seen, but they’re the kind of team we like to bet in the regular season when they have a chance to make a statement. Beating a Jazz team that’s red hot having won nine of its last 10 games, is up to second in the West and is 17-3 straight-up at home would certainly qualify as a statement for Dallas. We’ll take the points in this one expecting it to go down to the final possession.