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The Los Angeles Lakers play the Utah Jazz for the second time in four days, but this time they'll be playing on the road where they haven't had much success and against a team that is off to a hot start. With that said, we continue our NBA Odds series and make our Lakers-Jazz prediction and pick for Monday's showdown.
LeBron James and co. continue to struggle. While they did show some improved play with two straight wins (against the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans), it has since been canceled out with back-to-back losses–including one against the Jazz. They are still 2-6 on the season, and things haven't been looking positive for them as of late.
Meanwhile, the Jazz are completely the opposite of the Lakers. The squad–which was expected to be in the lead of the Victor Wembanyama tankathon–is looking nowhere like a team that wants to lose games. They are 8-3 so far this 2022-23 campaign, and they are coming off a game where they just beat the other and supposedly better LA team in the Los Angeles Clippers.
Here are the Lakers-Jazz NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Lakers-Jazz Odds
Los Angeles Lakers: +7 (-110)
Utah Jazz: -7 (-110)
Over: 226.5 (-110)
Under: 226.5 (-110)
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
If there is one thing that could help the Lakers take down the Jazz, it's their defense. Three-point shooting remains a problem for this squad, and unless LeBron James gets out of his historically bad shooting slump, the Purple and Gold cannot expect their offense to suddenly keep up with that of Utah.
However, defense is a different matter. For all their shortcomings offensively, the Lakers remain an elite defensive team. Sure, that was not the case when they allowed the Jazz to drop 130 points on them in their first meeting, but that also means the team could have an increased focus on that end this time around. Remember prior to the loss to Utah, this LA team ranked second in defensive rating, just behind the undefeated Milwaukee Bucks.
Not to mention that James, Davis and head coach Darvin Ham were particularly frustrated about their defensive performance during the game. If that is any indication, the Jazz could very well have trouble scoring when they meet on Monday night.
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It is also a bit of a good news for the Lakers that superstar guard Russell Westbrook seems to be embracing his bench role fully. Against the Jazz, he exploded for 26 points off the bench on top of three rebounds and six assists. He could very well be the difference-maker for LA in order to edge Utah.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
A lot of things have to go in favor of the Lakers to win. As for the Jazz, they simply need to play their game and be consistent with it.
The team is pretty well-balanced offensively and defensively, though they have been a major threat because of their 3-point shooting. They are second in the league in 3-pointers made with an average of 14.8, only trailing the Boston Celtics (16). And sure enough, they are not afraid to shoot, ranking third with the most attempts from deep with 40.3 per game.
Take their win against the Clippers for example. While Paul George and co. took and made more field goals, the Jazz ended up winning 110-102 after outshooting them from beyond the arc 15-8. Against a Lakers team that “can't shoot a penny in the ocean,” that could prove to be difficult to overcome.
Not to mention that the Jazz don't slack off on the defensive end as well. They are eighth in defensive rating in the whole NBA, and allow the fifth-least points in the West with 111.8.
Put simply, the Jazz play hard every time they are on the court, and that has allowed them to be among the top teams in the West. Perhaps Kendrick Perkins said it best when describing the current Jazz roster, saying “No Superstars which means no egos… just a lot of young veterans that want to show the world what the are capable of doing and that they can play winning basketball.”
Final Lakers-Jazz Prediction & Pick
This should be a tighter match compared to their first meeting. The Lakers know defense was what doomed them in their earlier loss, so buckets won't come easy for the Jazz in this one. While it might be difficult to pick the Purple and Gold to win considering their shooting woes, they might just be able to cover the spread. And how about a pick of Under 226.5?
Final Lakers-Jazz Prediction & Pick: Lakers +7 (-110)
