The Utah Jazz (14-26, 28 points, 13th in Western Conference) face the Dallas Mavericks (15-26, 41 points, 12th in Western Conference) in a Western Conference matchup between two struggling teams. Utah is coming off a narrow 126-128 loss to Chicago on Jan. 14, where they showed resilience but fell short without key players. Dallas suffered a 109-118 defeat to Denver on the same day, marking their fourth loss in five games. Both squads are on the second night of back-to-backs, with injuries heavily impacting lineups. The Jazz have won the last two head-to-head meetings, but Dallas’s home court and desperation for a win could make this competitive.
Venue Location
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX (Capacity: 20,000).
Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 PM ET (Broadcast: KJZZ, Jazz+, KFAA, WFAA).
Injury Report
Both teams are heavily depleted, with Utah missing key frontcourt pieces and Dallas without several starters, including Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. This could lead to increased roles for bench players and impact rebounding and perimeter defense.
Utah Jazz:
PF Lauri Markkanen (illness): Out; missed Jan. 14 game, expected out until at least Jan. 19.
PF Kevin Love (rest): Out; sidelined for back-to-back management.
SG Elijah Harkless (hamstring): Out; expected out until at least Jan. 19.
PF Georges Niang (left foot – fourth metatarsal stress reaction): Out; expected out until at least Jan. 19.
C Walker Kessler (left shoulder): Out; injury recovery, no timeline.
Dallas Mavericks:
SF Cooper Flagg (left ankle sprain): GTD; left Jan. 14 game vs. Denver, reevaluated post-game.
C Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain): GTD; left Jan. 14 game vs. Denver, reevaluated post-game.
SG Max Christie (illness): Out; missed Jan. 14, no timeline.
PF Anthony Davis (left finger sprain): Out; expected out until at least Mar. 1.
PG Dante Exum (right knee surgery): Out for season.
C Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery): Out for season.
PG Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery): Out; no timeline.
SF P.J. Washington (right ankle sprain): Questionable; game-time decision.
SG Brandon Williams (illness): Questionable; game-time decision.
Key
Player Matchups to Watch
With injuries ravaging both rosters, this game will hinge on star performances and bench contributions. Key battles include:
PG Keyonte George (UTA) vs. PG Ryan Nembhard (DAL): George (leading UTA with ~22 PPG, 9 APG) is Utah’s playmaker, stepping up sans Markkanen. Nembhard (rookie; ~5 APG) must handle George’s speed and passing in a depleted backcourt.
PF Brice Sensabaugh (UTA) vs. SF Cooper Flagg (DAL): Sensabaugh (recent 43 points vs. CHI; ~15 PPG) brings scoring punch. Flagg (GTD; ~20 PPG pre-injury) is DAL’s athletic forward, potentially limited by ankle.
C Jusuf Nurkic (UTA) vs. C Moussa Cisse (DAL): Nurkic (~11 PPG, 11 RPG) provides rebounding without Kessler. Cisse (bench big; GTD if needed) focuses on paint protection for DAL sans Lively II.
SF Taylor Hendricks (UTA) vs. PF Olivier-Maxence Prosper (DAL): Hendricks (young contributor) adds defense. Prosper steps in for injured DAL frontcourt, focusing on energy.
Recent Team Forms
Utah Jazz (3-7 in last 10 games, -10.7 point differential):
The Jazz have lost 7 of their last 10, averaging 117.3 PPG while allowing 128.0. Road form: 5-15. They’re on a 1-game losing streak after a 126-128 defeat to Chicago on Jan. 14, where Brice Sensabaugh scored 43 points.
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| Jan 14 | @ CHI | L 126-128 |
| Jan 12 | @ CLE | W 123-112 |
| Jan 9 | vs DAL | L 114-116 |
| Jan 8 | vs IND | L 112-114 |
| Jan 5 | vs PHX | W 138-134 |
| Jan 3 | @ SAC | L 104-105 |
| Jan 1 | vs MIN | L 120-113 |
| Dec 31 | vs IND | W 152-128 |
| Dec 29 | @ ATL | L 129-140 |
| Dec 27 | @ POR | L 134-136 |
Dallas Mavericks (4-6 in last 10 games, -5 point differential):
he Mavericks have alternated wins and losses, averaging 112.8 PPG while allowing 117.8. Home form: 11-10. They’re on a 1-game losing streak after a 109-118 defeat to Denver on Jan. 14.
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| Jan 14 | vs DEN | L 109-118 |
| Jan 12 | vs BK | W 113-105 |
| Jan 10 | @ CHI | L 107-125 |
| Jan 8 | @ UTA | W 116-114 |
| Jan 5 | vs SAC | W 129-102 |
| Jan 4 | vs OKC | L 105-108 |
| Jan 2 | vs SAC | W 129-102 |
| Dec 31 | @ PHI | W 116-112 |
| Dec 29 | vs CLE | L 105-110 |
| Dec 27 | vs CHI | W 112-103 |
Series History
The Jazz lead the all-time regular-season series 111-85 against the Mavericks (56.6% win rate for UTA). In playoffs, Utah is 4-3 in series. Utah has won the last two head-to-head, including a 116-114 victory on Jan. 9, 2026. At American Airlines Center, Dallas is 58-65 vs. Utah. Recent games average 231.2 points, trending under in 5 of last 10.
Betting Trends
Moneyline: UTA is 6-3 as favorites; DAL is 9-7 as home underdogs.
Spread (ATS): UTA covers 57.5% as favorites (23-17 ATS overall); DAL covers 42.5% as underdogs (17-23 ATS).
Total (Over/Under): 235.5 to 236.5 (-110). Over has hit in 62.5% of UTA games (25-15); 40% of DAL games (16-24). Trends: Jazz are 3-7 SU in last 10, 5-3 ATS with no rest; Mavericks are 4-6 SU in last 10, 2-3 ATS at home lately. UTA is 2-0 vs DAL this season; over in 2 of last 2 head-to-head.
Game Odds
Utah Jazz 238.5
Dallas Mavericks – 1.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, January 14, 2026
