Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction
| Game Time | 10:00 pm EST |
| Utah Jazz Line | +3 |
| Portland Trail Blazers Line | -3 |
| Total | 224.5 |
| TV: | NBA TV |
Below is a detailed analysis for Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers game.
PREGAME WARM-UP:
In this all-Western matchup between two of the three worst teams currently in the conference, the Portland Trail Blazers are hosting the Utah Jazz. The Blazers are coming back home following a short two-game road trip, where they lost both games. Portland is far better at home this season, but have won just once in their last nine matches. The Jazz are coming off a loss that snapped their previous two-game winning steak, and are in their fifth and final stop of a lengthy road trip.
Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction
Portland Trail Blazers Injury Report: Robert Williams III is day-to-day, Matisse Thybulle is out
Utah Jazz Injury Report: John Collins, Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks are day-to-day.
Portland Trail Blazers Form and Trends
The Blazers have a 9-20 record this season and are sitting on the third to last place of the West. Portland is 15-13-1 against the spread and 13-16 in over/under. The Blazers have a 6-7 home record, but are 8-5 against the spread, with a -7.5-point differential. The Blazers are 2-10 in their last 12 games, but 3-2 against the spread in their last 5. Over is 6-3 in their last 9 games.
The Blazers are coming off a 108-132 loss in Dallas, as they allowed the Mavs to shoot with 53% from the field. Deni Avdija led Portland’s offense with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench, as their starter managed to score just 47 points in total.
Anfernee Simons leads the Blazers in scoring with an average of 17.4 points and 4.8 assists. Shaedon Sharpe adds 17.4 points and 3.5 rebounds.
Utah Jazz Recent Form and Trends
The Jazz have a 7-21 record this season and are sitting on the second to last place of the West. The Jazz are 13-15 against the spread and 15-13 in over/under. Utah has a 5-11 road record, but are 9-7 against the spread with an -8.4-point differential. The Jazz are 2-4 in their last 6 games but 3-0 against the spread in their last 3. Over is 7-1 in their last 8 games.
The Jazz are coming off a 113-124 loss in Cleveland, as they shot with just 41% from the field. Utah had three players with 24+ points, led by Jordan Clarkson with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists off the bench.
Lauri Markkanen leads the Jazz in scoring with 19.3 points, adding 6.6 rebounds per game. John Collins adds 17.7 points and 8.2 rebounds.
Statistical Breakdown
Offensively, the Blazers average 107.1 point per game, ranking 27th in the league. Houston does not shoot the ball very well, with just 43.9% from the field (28th) and 33% from beyond the arc (25th). Defensively, they are allowing 116.8 points per game, which ranks 23rd in the league.
Offensively, the Jazz are averaging 110.3 points per game, which ranks 21st in the league. Utah shoots with 45.7% from the field (17th) and with 36.3% from beyond the arc (15th). Defensively, they are the third-worst team in the NBA, allowing 119.5 points per game.
In their previous meeting earlier this season, the Jazz won 141-99 on the road. the Jazz are 3-0 in their last 3 overall meetings against the Blazers, and are 4-2 in their last 6 meetings in Portland. The Jazz are 4-1 against the spread in their last 5 meetings. Over is 3-0 in their last 3 meetings.
Prediction
In this Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction, the Blazers are coming as -3 home favorites. The Blazers are the 8th-best covering home team in the NBA this season, and have been playing significantly better at home than on the road. The Jazz are in a terrible scheduling spot, as they are playing their last game of a lengthy road trip that forced them to be on the road for Christmas. Portland’s last home game was a huge victory against the Nuggets, so I have faith in them to win a struggling Utah squad easily. Take the Portland Trail Blazers Prediction and lay the points at home. Nick’s Free Pick: Portland Trail Blazers Prediction -3
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