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The Utah Jazz (19-17) visit the Golden State Warriors (17-18) on Wednesday night. Action tips off at 10:10 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Jazz-Warriors prediction and pick.
Utah has won two of their last three games to bump them into ninth place in the Western Conference. The Jazz are 20-16 against the spread while 54% of their games have gone over. Golden State has won two straight but still reside in 10th place in the West. The Warriors are 15-19-1 against the spread while 59% of their games have gone over. This will be the third and final meeting between the two teams. They split the first two with each team picking up a home victory.
Here are the Jazz-Warriors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Jazz-Warriors Odds
Utah Jazz: -4.5 (-108)
Golden State Warriors: +4.5 (-112)
Over: 232.5 (-108)
Under: 232.5 (-112)
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
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Utah has fallen down the standings since their red-hot start to the season but remains a dangerous team thanks to their potent offense. The Jazz rank fourth in the league in scoring as they average 117.2 points per game. They are held back by their weak defense, but rank in the top 10 in both three-pointers attempted and three-point percentage. That alone gives them a great chance to cover, but two players, in particular, could prove vital in tonight's matchup.
Forward Lauri Markkanen finds himself in the midst of an All-Star-caliber season. Markkanen leads the Jazz with 23.1 PPG and 8.2 RPG. He has been incredibly efficient in doing so, shooting 53% from the field. He's at his best beyond the arc, however, as he's averaging three three-pointers per game and hitting them at a 43% clip. He was only active for one of their previous meetings with Golden State but made the most of it. Despite the loss, Lauri scored 24 points and nailed five threes. He'll likely need a similar performance if Utah wants to cover a hefty road spread but has already proven the ability to perform in Golden State.
While Markkanen has received a majority of the credit for Utah's surprising season, guard Jordan Clarkson has been just as important. Clarkson is right behind Markkanen, averaging 20.3 PPG. He has served as Utah's primary distributor by averaging 4.5 APG. Clarkson is a skilled shot-creator who is shooting a solid 44% from the field. While he is not as deadly as Markkanen from deep, Clarkson still averages 2.7 made threes per game and hits them at a respectable 36% clip. Clarkson found a great deal of success against the Warriors in their two previous matchups. He averaged 21.5 PPG and 9.5 APG against Golden State while shooting an outstanding 47% from the field. Clarkson is in the midst of a four-game run of 20+ points – a streak that will likely continue given Golden State's atrocious defense.
Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread
After Golden State looked like they were going to bottom out with Steph Curry's return date unclear, the Warriors rattled off back-to-back home wins. That included arguably their most impressive performance of the season on Christmas Day. Golden State dismantled Memphis and in doing so improved to an NBA-best 14-2 at home. They'll need to continue their strong home play tonight if they want to cover as sizable underdogs.
It may have taken a while, but the Warriors look like they've finally adjusted to playing without Steph Curry. Over the last two games, they've relied strictly on their guards to get things done. The diet version of the Splash Brothers, Jordan Poole, and Klay Thompson have been incredible during their last two games. Poole has averaged 28 PPG, while Klay is right behind him with 26.5 PPG. They each have averaged over 20 shots per game – 10 more than the next closest Warrior. It is clear that Golden State wants to run its offense through its two talented guards – and for good reason.
While Poole and Thompson will do their best to shoot Golden State into a cover, forward Jonathan Kuminga could prove to be a major X-factor tonight. Kuminga is an athletic freak who oozes potential. He's yet to put it all together, but can certainly flash in moments. While his playing time fluctuates, Kuminga has shown the ability to make a difference in limited minutes. Despite averaging under 20 minutes per game the last two games, he's the team's third-leading scorer thanks to shooting 88% from the floor.
Final Jazz-Warriors Prediction & Pick
The Warriors are definitely short-handed, but they're one of the best home teams in the league. They've started to figure out life without Curry in their last two games and should be able to keep things close tonight.
Final Jazz-Warriors Prediction & Pick: Golden State Warriors +4.5 (-112)
