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The Washington Wizards (12-20) visit the Utah Jazz (18-16) on Thursday night. Action tips off at 9 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Wizards-Jazz prediction and pick.
Washington snapped a 10-game losing streak in their last matchup but still sits in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards are 12-17-3 against the spread while 53% of their games have gone under. Utah has lost two of their last three games to drop them to eighth in the Western Conference. The Jazz are 19-15 against the spread while 53% of their games have gone over. This will be the second and final matchup between the two teams this season. Washington took a 121-112 victory over Utah in early November.
Here are the Wizards-Jazz NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Wizards-Jazz Odds
Washington Wizards: +6.5 (-108)
Utah Jazz: -6.5 (-112)
Over: 229.5 (-110)
Under: 229.5 (-110)
Why The Wizards Could Cover The Spread
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Washington may have snapped their losing streak against Phoenix in their previous matchup, but they still have a lot of work to do in climbing out of the hole they dug themselves. The Wizards feature a weak offense that ranks 24th in scoring and 22nd in offensive rating. They are around league average on defense, ranking 16th in points allowed and 21st in defensive rating. Washington's strongest area is on the glass as they rank 13th in rebound differential and 14th in rebound rate.
Despite losing 10 straight games over the last few weeks, the Wizards bounced back in a big way in their victory over Phoenix. They managed to defeat one of the West's top teams even with big man Kristaps Porzingis out with an illness. Forward Kyle Kuzma was the star of the show, scoring 29 points while shooting 5-10 from beyond the arc. Kuz contributed outside of scoring as well, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out six assists. That strong performance is just the latest in what has been a breakout season for the forward. Kuzma averages 21.5 PPG and 7.6 RPG for the season but has been hit-or-miss from three. While he's unlikely to repeat his 5-10 night against Phoenix, his recent hot shooting is something to consider before making a Wizards-Jazz prediction.
While Kuzma stole the show, guard Bradley Beal had a stellar game himself. Beal scored 27 points in the win – continuing his recent uptick in scoring. A two-time 30 PPG scorer, Beal's production has dipped in the last two seasons. This year he's averaged 23.4 PPG. That's solid, but not what we'd come to expect from Beal. That being said, he's really started to pick it up as of late. In his last six full games, Beal has averaged 27.7 PPG. He's slowly looking more like the 2019-21 version of himself and could have a big night on tap against a vulnerable Utah defense.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
Utah has cooled off since their blazing-hot start, but they remain a strong all-around team. The Jazz are lethal offensively, ranking fourth in both scoring and offensive rating. Their biggest weakness lies on defense where they rank 24th in points allowed and 26th in defensive rating. Utah is a solid rebounding team as they rank 16th in both rebound differential and rebound rate.
While they have fallen off some compared to the beginning of the season, Utah still has a great chance to cover tonight thanks to the play of forward Lauri Markkanen. Lauri continues to make his case for being an All-Star thanks to a stat line of 22.8 PPG and 8.2 RPG. He's been remarkably efficient, shooting 54% from the field and 44% from three (6.7 threes attempted per game). While he struggled by his standards in their previous meeting (17 points on 8-14 shooting), expect Markkanen to come out of the gates firing. Markkanen is coming off a 38-point outing against Detroit – something to consider before making a Wizards-Jazz prediction.
Markkanen has received a majority of the media buzz surrounding Utah, but their guard play is what gives the Jazz the best chance to cover tonight. Both Jordan Clarkson and Mike Conley have been great in their respective roles. Clarkson ranks second on the team with 20.1 PPG, while Conley leads the team with 7.5 APG. The combo of these two guards has given opposing defenses fits this season – something that should continue against an average Washington defense. Conley struggled mightily in their prior meeting with the Wizards – shooting just 1-8 from the field. Expect a bounce-back performance tonight.
Final Wizards-Jazz Prediction & Pick
Washington has proven the ability to handle the Jazz's potent offense and I expect that to continue again tonight. Ride the road underdogs as Washington attempts to creep back into relevancy.
Final Wizards-Jazz Prediction & Pick: Washington Wizards +6.5 (-108)
