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The Utah Jazz (17-15) visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (20-11) on Monday night. Action tips off at 7:10 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Jazz-Cavaliers prediction and pick.
Utah has won two of their last three games to push them to eighth place in the Western Conference. The Jazz is 18-14 against the spread while 50% of their games have gone over. Cleveland has won three straight games and currently sits in third place in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers are 16-13-2 against the spread while 61% of their games have gone under. This will be the first of two meetings between the teams. Last season the teams split their two-game series with each team winning their away matchup.
Here are the Jazz-Cavaliers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Jazz-Cavaliers Odds
Utah Jazz: +6 (-112)
Cleveland Cavaliers: -6 (-108)
Over: 221.5 (-110)
Under: 221.5 (-110)
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
Utah has been the feel-good story of the Western Conference as they've vastly outperformed expectations. The Jazz has a potent offense that ranks fourth in both scoring and offensive rating. They are vulnerable defensively, however, ranking just 23rd in points allowed and 25th in defensive rating. Utah is an average rebounding team that ranks 15th in rebound differential and 16th in rebound rate. The Jazz will notably be without Collin Sexton while Kelly Olynyk is listed as questionable.
Former Cavalier Lauri Markkanen is the star of the show for Utah. The sweet-shooting forward averages 22.3 PPG while also chipping in 8.3 RPG. Markkanen finds himself in the midst of the best season of his career as he's been scorching hot from all areas of the court. For the season, Markkanen is shooting 53% from the field, 42% from three, and 84% from the line. He's taken full advantage of a thin Jazz roster and is a serious contender to make the All-Star team despite a loaded Western Conference. While he does face a tough matchup against Cleveland's twin-towers, his ability to stretch the floor and pull the Cavs' bigs out onto the perimeter could do wonders for Utah's spacing. His familiarity with Cleveland and strong play this season and certainly worth keeping in mind before making a Jazz-Cavaliers prediction.
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While Markkanen is (rightfully) getting the bulk of the credit for Utah's success this season, the play of guard Jordan Clarkson cannot be overlooked. The journeyman guard has primarily spent his career in a complimentary role off the bench but is taking full advantage of his time as the lead guard in Utah's offense. For the season, Clarkson averages 19.9 PPG and 4.6 APG while shooting 44% from the field. He's a streaky scorer but has the potential to single-handily carry his team to victory. Cleveland's weakest spot on defense is on the perimeter – potentially setting Clarkson up for a big night. The Jazz are 2-0 when he scores 30+ points.
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
Cleveland has solidified itself as one of the contenders in the Eastern Conference thanks to its strong two-way play. The Cavaliers are solid offensively where they rank 24th in scoring but 12th in offensive rating. Their identity lies on the defensive end of the court as they rank first in both points allowed and defensive rating. The Cavs are also a strong rebounding team which ranks fifth in rebound differential and fourth in rebound rate. Cleveland will notably be without starting small forward Lamar Stevens due to an injury.
The Cavaliers are a strong team with a solidified identity. They play strong defense on one end and rely on their duo of talented guards to carry the load offensively. Former Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is central to Cleveland's success. Mitchell averages 29.5 PPG and 4.6 APG while shooting 50% from the field and 42% from three. He's been absolutely dominant at times and is silencing any previous doubters from his time in Utah. Alongside him, point guard Darius Garland has been nearly as impressive.
With the arrival of Mitchell, Garland has thrived as a secondary scoring option. He's been able to focus much more on setting up his teammates rather than hunting his own shot as he averages 8.0 APG. That being said, Garland is still a viable scoring threat as he ranks second on the team averaging 20.8 PPG. The young point guard has done a great job getting his teammates involved lately as he's dished out 22 assists over their last two games.
Final Jazz-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick
Utah has been frisky all season but they face a tough matchup against one of the NBA's stingiest defenses. Cleveland is an NBA-best 14-2 at home and they should be able to keep the ball rolling tonight.
Final Jazz-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -6 (-108)
