The Utah Jazz (36-40) visit the Boston Celtics (53-24) on Friday night! Action tips off at 7:40 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Jazz-Celtics prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Here are the Jazz-Celtics NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Jazz-Celtics Odds
Utah Jazz: +9.5 (-110)
Boston Celtics: -9.5 (-110)
Over: 229 (-110)
Under: 229 (-110)
How To Watch Jazz vs. Celtics
TV: ATTSN Rocky Mountain, NBCS Boston
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
Last 10 & Standing: 5-5 (12th in the West)
ATS Record: 42-32-2 (57%)
Over Record: 43-31-2 (58%)
Utah enters tonight's game after snapping a four-game skid with Wednesday's win over San Antonio. Still, the Jazz appear to be tanking the rest of the season considering Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton will not play again tonight. That being said Utah got the best of Boston earlier this month thanks to a 118-117 win. While missing Markkanen will hurt, the Jazz still stand a chance to keep things close tonight.
If Utah is going to keep things tight tonight they're going to need to put an emphasis on rebounding. Their previous win over the Celtics saw them win the rebounding battle 56-40. They secured 17 offensive rebounds which helped propel them to a 48-30 advantage in points in the paint. That's been a strength of Utah's all season as they hold the fourth-highest offensive rebound rate in the league. Additionally, the Jazz were red-hot from beyond the arc, nailing 17-41 three-pointers. Consequently, Utah has solidified itself as one of the best outside shooting teams in the NBA as they average the sixth-most threes per game. While Boston has held their opponents to the fifth-lowest three-point shooting percentage, they give up the 13th-most attempts per game.
With three of their key players out tonight, look for wing Talen Horton-Tucker to continue receiving a massive usage rate. THT is coming off a career night after he scored 41 points against the Spurs. That was just the culmination of what has been a strong late-season push from the former Laker. He dropped 19 on Boston the last time these teams met and should flirt with a 20-point night as one of the primary options.
The biggest X-factor for the Jazz tonight is big man Walker Kessler. Kessler burst onto the scene in the second half of the season and proved to be a nightly double-double threat. The seven-footer found a great deal of success in their earlier win over Boston when he scored 12 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, and blocked three shots. Conceding the Celtics' lack of size, Kessler could feast down low tonight.
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
Last 10 & Standing: 7-3 (Second in the East)
ATS Record: 42-35 (55%)
Over Record: 39-36-2 (52%)
Boston has a quick turnaround as they are coming off arguably their best performance of the season last night thanks to a 41-point victory over the first-place Bucks. It was a much-needed win after previously dropping a 19-point loss to the Wizards. While the Celtics did lose to the Jazz in their most recent meeting, that was on the road and with Utah's full team together. Now, Boston gets the Jazz at home – a place they hold a 28-9 record with a 57% cover rate. That being said, the Celtics have a number of players questionable tonight including Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Jayson Tatum. Additionally, Robert Williams was listed as doubtful.
If the Celtics are going to cover tonight it will likely come via a combination of their elite offense and defense. Regardless of who suits up for Boston, they've maintained top 10 marks in both points allowed and points per game. Offensively, the Celtics do an incredible job moving the ball, ranking seventh with 26.5 APG. Those extra passes lead to tons of open looks for their shooters as the Celtics average the second-most attempted and made threes per game. That could prove to be a difference-maker tonight as the Jazz rank in the bottom half of the league in threes allowed.
Regardless of whether or not Tatum and Brown suit up tonight, guard Derrick White figures to play a major role. White was notably quiet the first time they matched up with Utah as he scored just 10 points. That has held true the last two games as well but he flashes the ability to be a primary option from time to time. While Boston has only played one game without both Tatum and Brown, it threw White directly into the spotlight as he scored 27 points and dished out 12 assists.
Final Jazz-Celtics Prediction & Pick
With the Celtics on such a quick turnaround and potentially missing a number of key contributors, I like the Jazz to keep things closer than expected.
Final Jazz-Celtics Prediction & Pick: Utah Jazz +9.5 (-110)
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