The Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks will play in an inter-conference matchup on Sunday. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Jazz-Bucks prediction and pick.
The Jazz and Bucks will meet on Sunday in what will be a matchup between two teams that hope to make deep runs in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The Jazz dropped their first game of the season on Saturday night on the road vs. the Chicago Bulls, while the Bucks also played and lost on Saturday, falling to the San Antonio Spurs at home. The home loss marked the second straight loss at home for the Bucks to begin the season, as they also lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier in the week. The Bucks and Jazz will both look to avoid being swept on their respective back-to-backs, and the Bucks will look to avoid a third straight loss than would drop them under .500 on the season.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the Jazz-Bucks odds for this Sunday matchup.
NBA Odds: Jazz-Bucks Odds
Utah Jazz -2.5 (-110), -138 ML
Milwaukee Bucks +2.5 (-110), +118 ML
Over 224 points (-112)
Under 224 points (-108)
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Article Continues BelowWhy The Jazz Can Cover The Spread
The Jazz could be the best team in the NBA again this year, at least for the regular season. The No. 1 seed in the West a year ago, Utah is rolling again with a 4-1 start to the 2021-22 season. The issue for the Jazz has been losing in the postseason, as they have yet to make it past the second round of the playoffs in the Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert era. This is not a postseason game, so the Jazz are a solid play. They have better better than the Bucks early in the season, and the spread is small enough to feel good about laying the points even on the road. Keep an eye on the injury reports, which will come later in the day on the back-to-back.
Why The Bucks Can Cover The Spread
The Bucks have been without Jrue Holiday for much of this young season, and the absence is being felt. The Bucks are not super deep in the backcourt, and Donte DiVincenzo isn't quite back yet either from the injury he suffered in the 2021 postseason. This puts the Bucks at slight disadvantage on their home floor on Sunday vs. a mostly healthy Utah group. The Bucks can certainly cover and win on Sunday, but the Jazz are healthier and probably the safer pick given the slim point-spread.
Final Jazz-Bucks Prediction & Pick
The Jazz have come out of the gates with more to prove than the 2021 NBA Champion Bucks, so take Utah to win and cover the spread in Milwaukee on Sunday evening.
FINAL JAZZ-BUCKS PREDICTION & PICK: Jazz -2.5 (-110)