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The Utah Jazz (17-16) visit the Detroit Pistons (8-24) on Tuesday night. Action tips off at 7:10 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Jazz-Pistons prediction and pick.
Utah has won two of their last three games but sits in ninth place in the Western Conference. The Jazz are 18-15 against the spread while 52% of their games have gone over. Detroit has lost two straight games and find themselves in last place in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are 16-13-3 against the spread while 58% of their games have gone over. This will be the second and final meeting between the two teams. Detroit took the first game in Utah, 125-116.
Here are the Jazz-Pistons NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Jazz-Pistons Odds
Utah Jazz: -2.5 (-110)
Detroit Pistons: +2.5 (-110)
Over: 229.5 (-110)
Under: 229.5 (-110)
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
Utah has dropped in the standings since their blistering start but still sits in a great position to make a run toward the playoffs. Utah features an electric offense that ranks fourth in both scoring and offensive rating. They are held back by a suspect defense, however, as they rank 23rd in points allowed and 25th in defensive rating. The Jazz are solid but not spectacular on the glass, ranking 15th in rebound differential and 17th in rebound rate.
After back-to-back blowout losses, the Jazz will be highly motivated to get right as they close out their Midwest road trip. Forward Lauri Markkanen is in a great spot to help his team do just that given Detroit's atrocious defense. Markkanen has been incredible this season as he's averaging 22.3 PPG and 8.3 RPG while shooting 53% from the field and 42% from three. He's been the definition of consistency especially of late. He's scored 18+ in each of his last eight games despite a brutal recent schedule that's seen them play some of their best defenses. Markkanen did struggle in their previous meeting with Detroit. In their loss, he scored just 13 points on 43% shooting. That being said, he's due for a bounce back and his consistency is something to keep in mind before making a Jazz-Pistons prediction.
In their earlier matchup with Detroit, it was guard Malik Beasley who shouldered the offensive load for the Jazz. Beasley scored a season-high 29 points thanks to draining 8-15 threes. While he can't be expected to hit eight threes again, Detroit's weak defense does set him up for a potentially big night. For the season Beasley has been a solid bench contributor, averaging 14.1 PPG on 41% shooting. He struggled mightily in their most recent outing, going just 1-10 from the field. Prior to that, however, he'd scored 17+ in six straight games. Look for him to bounce back against a bad defense he's already had success against.
Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
The Pistons were going to be a bottom-tier team this season even before star Cade Cunningham went out for the season. Since then, the wheels have completely fallen off and they're a heavy favorite to have some of the best lottery odds in next summer's draft. Detroit has a poor offense that ranks 22nd in scoring and 23rd in offensive rating. Their biggest weakness, however, is on defense where they rank 29th in both points allowed and defensive rating. They're better on the glass but still not great, ranking 24th in rebound differential and 16th in rebound rate.
If there is one saving grace for the Pistons, it's the play of forward Bojan Bogdanovic. A long-time member of the Jazz, Bogdanovic has been exceptional this season as he's averaging a career-high 21.3 PPG while shooting an efficient 49.7%. He's been lights-out from three, shooting 42% on over six attempts per game. Bogdanovic won't fill up the box score outside of his scoring but he remains a solid defender and is a strong candidate to get traded to a contender prior to the deadline. He's been locked in as of late, averaging 27.5 PPG over his last four games.
The X-factor for Detroit tonight has to be big man Marvin Bagley III. Bagley has been a solid contributor for the Pistons despite his minutes remaining sporadic. He averages 11.2 PPG and 6.0 RPG despite playing just 22 minutes per game. He torched Utah's weak interior defense in their first meeting, scoring 19 points on 9/10 from the field. If Bagley's minutes creep up 30 per night his stats could really start to explode but he should be a huge presence down low regardless of how much he plays.
Final Jazz-Pistons Prediction & Pick
With how badly Utah has played in recent games, I like them to bounce back here and get revenge for their earlier loss to Detroit.
Final Jazz-Pistons Prediction & Pick: Utah Jazz -2.5 (-110)
