Throughout the regular season, there are a few matchups that fans wish they could see more games of. One of those matchups is coming to fruition in the first round of the 2022 NBA postseason, as the No. 4 seed Dallas Mavericks will be squaring off against the No. 5 seed Utah Jazz.

The Mavericks earned homecourt going 52-30. They finished three games ahead of the Jazz, who went 49-33. Homecourt could be a big determining factor in this series as the teams split their four matchups during the regular season with the home team winning each time.

Those matchups got scrappy as well. They had a playoff intensity to them, providing a preview of what we could see in the postseason. Unfortunately, the Mavericks will not be at full strength at the beginning of the series.

All-Star Luka Doncic suffered a calf strain in the third quarter of the regular-season finale and he is expected to miss Game 1. While the injury isn’t considered serious, there is still a recovery period needed. Doncic will likely be day-to-day and a game-time decision every time out, but for at least one game, Dallas will be without their best player.

LATEST NBA NEWS: 5 Bold Predictions Ahead Of 2022 NBA Playoffs

Is that something that the Jazz will be able to take advantage of? With rumors swirling of potential changes coming in the offseason, Utah needs all of the breaks they can get. Will they be able to take advantage?

Let’s take a look at three predictions for the first-round matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.