The Utah Jazz (12-22) and Portland Trail Blazers (16-20) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 10:00 p.m. ET at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. The game will broadcast live on KUNP.
The Blazers are 6.5-point favorites over the Jazz on the spread (Trail Blazers -6.5), with the over/under set at 241.5 total points. Portland is a -230 favorite to win outright, while Utah is +190 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Jazz vs. Trail Blazers predictions and NBA picks for Monday, January 5.
Jazz vs Trail Blazers Picks, Prediction
- Pick: Jazz +6.5 (-120, DraftKings)
My Blazers vs Jazz best bet is on Utah to cover the spread, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. However, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Jazz vs Trail Blazers Odds
| Jazz Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6 -110 | 241.5 -110o / -110u | +190 |
| Trail Blazers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6 -110 | 241.5 -110o / -110u | -230 |
- Jazz vs. Trail Blazers spread: Trail Blazers -6 (-110)
- Jazz vs. Trail Blazers over/under: 241.5 total points
- Jazz vs. Trail Blazers moneyline: Jazz +190, Trail Blazers -230
- Jazz vs. Trail Blazers best bet:Jazz +6.5
Jazz vs. Trail Blazers NBA Preview
The Jazz are just 4-11 on the road this season and last in defensive rating. That is often not a good combination for life in the Western Conference.
However, on Saturday, they took an eight-point lead to halftime at Golden State. That would not hold up as the Jazz gave up 42 points in the third quarter and the Warriors rallied for a 123-114 victory.
The Jazz did get leading scorers Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George back after they missed Thursday's loss in Los Angeles. Markkanen had 35 points and six rebounds and George had 22 points and nine assists.
Both Ace Bailey and Jusuf Nurkic did not play on Saturday and are questionable tonight. Kevin Love had 10 rebounds and five assists, but he will be rested for tonight's game.
The Jazz are three games back of the Trail Blazers for the ninth spot in the Western Conference, so a win tonight could prove significant in April. However, they will have to knock off a hot Portland team.
The Blazers have won four of their last five games, most recently sweeping a back-to-back in New Orleans and San Antonio. In that span, they are ninth in defensive rating, having improved to 19th on the year.
Donovan Clingan has been a significant factor as the team is 5.8 points better with him on the floor. The second-year big man is averaging 11.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game this season.
Deni Avdija has paced the offense and filled up the stat sheet. He is averaging 26.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 9.1 assists over his last 10 games. He is coming off his third double of the year with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Shaedon Sharpe will look to bounce back from a rough outing as he scored a season-low six points and went 3-for-16 from the field on Saturday.
Caleb Love picked up the slack with 16 points off the bench. The rookie has scored in double figures in seven straight games while averaging 17.2 per game in that span.
Jazz vs. Trail Blazers Prediction
These teams have split the last 10 meetings, but the Jazz have covered eight of those matchups. That includes the last seven meetings, being an underdog in the last matchups. Six of the last seven meetings have also been decided by single digits and two have gone into overtime.
Even during Portland's recent stretch, three of its last four victories have been by six points or less.
While Utah's defense is always a concern, it actually has been solid down the stretch. In clutch time, Utah is 10th in offensive rating and fourth in defensive rating with a +18.1 net rating and winning nine of 15 games.
While I would not be surprised if Utah stole this game down the stretch, I see a high-scoring game that may come down to the last possession. For that reason, I am taking the points with the underdog.
Utah has been tough to close out because George has quietly emerged as a strong closer. He has scored 20 points in each of his last 10 games and at least six assists in each of them. In the lone meeting against Portland this season, he had 29 points and eight assists.
I like him for 30 PA tonight, which he has cleared in eight of his last 10 games.
Markkanen had 32 points and five rebounds in the last meeting. He has cleared 30 PR in each of his last four games against Portland and in nine of his last 10 games overall.
Utah is 28th or worse in points, rebounds, and assists to small forwards, setting up a nice matchup for Avdija to go for another triple-double, which is +359 on DraftKings tonight. He has recorded 40 PRA or more in seven of his last 10 games.
Due to his defensive reputation and percentage (35.4%), you may not think of Toumani Camara as a shooter.
However, he is shooting 38.1% from three on 8.2 attempts over his last 10 games. He has made three triples in seven of his last 10 games. He has a great matchup tonight as Utah allows the most 3-pointers per game and the second-most 3-point attempts.
Best Bet: Jazz +6.5 (-120, DraftKings)
Jazz vs Trail Blazers Parlay Picks
- Deni Avdija 40+ Points, Rebounds, and Assists
- Lauri Markkanen 30+ Points and Rebounds
- Keyonte George 30+ Points and Assists
- Toumani Camara Three Pointers Made
Parlay Payout: +380 via DraftKings
