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We're back to continue our betting predictions and picks for Friday's NBA slate as we head to the Western Conference for this divisional matchup. The Utah Jazz (4-17) will take on the Portland Trail Blazers (8-14) as the two squads meet for the first time this season. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Jazz-Trail Blazers prediction and pick.
The Utah Jazz are currently last in the Northwest Division and second to last in the Western Conference. They're just 1-9 over their last 10 games and have lost five consecutively heading into this road tilt. They'll hope to find any glimmers of hope as the betting underdogs.
The Portland Trail Blazers are fourth in the Northwest Division and just ahead of the Jazz in the Western Conference standings. They've also been struggled, going 1-4 over their last five games. Still, they stand to earn a solid win over their divisional rivals as the slight betting favorites.
Here are the Jazz-Trail Blazers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Jazz-Trail Blazers Odds
Utah Jazz: +2.5 (-112)
Moneyline: +120
Portland Trail Blazers: -2.5 (-108)
Moneyline: -142
Over: 225 (-110)
Under: 225 (-110)
How To Watch Jazz vs. Trail Blazers
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT
TV: DirecTV Sports Net, NBA League Pass
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Jazz Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Utah Jazz have been continuing to struggle over the last 10 games and they're still missing Jordan Clarkson's production off the bench in terms of their scoring. They'll also be without Kyle Filipkowski moving forward, so it certainly hurts their depth off the bench and their interior defense. Still, their offense as a whole has struggled with no players averaging over 20 PPG and their team 108.2 PPG ranks near the bottom of the NBA.
Still, their lineup is much healthier coming into this week than they've been throughout the season, so we could see more production out of Lauri Markkanen on the defensive end and Walker Kessler on the offensive side. Collin Sexton has been very impressive over the last three games and he's one of the better two-way defenders in the NBA. If he has a great game against Portland, they could come away with the upset win.
Why the Trail Blazers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Trail Blazers have been playing beyond their expectations this season and much of it has been due to the improvement from second-year shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe. He's leading the team in scoring with 17.8 PPG along with Anfernee Simons right behind him with 16.7 PPG. Scoot Henderson has taken a massive leap forward in terms of his passing efficiency and when he's playing to find the open man, this offense flows much better as a result.
It's clear that the Trail Blazers have grown in terms of their chemistry and we're seeing Deandre Ayton settle into his role as a versatile big man in their interior. Deni Avdija has also been a nice addition to their lineup this season and with his 6.0 RPG, the Trail Blazers are a very tall team inside with their length. If they're able to control the glass and make Utah work for their layups, they should be able to hold on and win this game.
Final Jazz-Trail Blazers Prediction & Pick
These two teams will meet for the first of four total season meetings this year and they're likely to be flip-flopping positions in the Northwest standings. While neither team has played well as of late, the Trail Blazers have been the slightly better side and have a deeper roster capable of more versatile scoring.
Similarly, the Jazz have the depth to compete with teams like the Trail Blazers, but they haven't been able to keep up with much of their Western Conference competition throughout this season. They've lost four of their last five games by more than double-digits.
For our final betting prediction, we'll have to roll with the Portland Trail Blazers to get the job done on the road. We should see both offenses improve against each team's porous defense, so don't be surprised if the betting total hits on the over as well. We like Portland's ability to score the ball from most places, so let's side with them to win the game and cover the spread.
Final Jazz-Trail Blazers Prediction & Pick: Portland Trail Blazers -2.5 (-112)
