The Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers finish their back-to-back set Friday night at Staples Center. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Jazz-Clippers prediction and pick.

The Jazz hold the best overall and against the spread record in the league at 24-5 and 22-6-1, respectively.

The Clippers stand at 21-9 overall and are 17-13 against the spread.

In the last matchup between the two teams, Utah pulled away late to get the win and cover the seven-point spread against the Clippers.

Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Jazz-Clippers odds.

NBA Odds: Jazz-Clippers Odds

Utah Jazz -5 (-114)

Los Angeles Clippers +5 (-106)

Over 224.5 Points (-115)

Under 224.5 Points (-105)

Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread

The Utah Jazz have been virtually unbeatable this season. Since Jan. 6, they have lost a total of one game.

How did Utah go from what many considered to be a fringe contender to the best team in the league?

The answer lies along the 3-point line on both ends of the court.

In today's league, teams that make more 3-pointers than their opponent almost always wins. The last time the Jazz hit fewer 3-pointers than their opponent was Jan. 5, when they were blown out by the Brooklyn Nets.

Utah's offense thrives from beyond the 3-point line. They shoot the most 3-pointers in the league at just over 42 attempts a game and convert at the fourth-highest percentage in the league (39.3%).

Most teams simply don't have the defensive personnel to keep up with Utah's shooters. The Jazz have a whopping SIX players shooting 38% or better from deep on at least four attempts a game.

On the other end, Utah has shut off the 3-point line. Opponents shoot only 35.2% from deep against Utah, the fourth-lowest mark in the league. Pounding the paint has been futile with Rudy Gobert in the middle, so teams are forced to take mid-range shots and tough 3-pointers.

Against a Jazz offense that has been insanely efficient, long 2-pointers aren't going to get the job done.

As of now, the Clippers have four key players in Kawhi Leonard, Luke Kennard, Paul George, and Nicolas Batum questionable.

If Leonard and George don't play, this Clippers team will need a miracle to get a win in this situation. The Jazz are too well-rounded and in too good of form to fall to a Clippers team without their stars.

Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread

While the Clippers got blown away late in the last matchup, it's not as good of an indicator as the matchup the two teams played earlier this season.

With both teams fully healthy, the Jazz pulled out a close win after fighting off a Clippers comeback. The two powerhouses came away essentially tied in every category, with the Jazz winning the key 3-point category by two makes.

The point is these two are very, very close competition when both teams are fully healthy. If anybody is going to give Utah a run for their money in the West, it's the Los Angeles teams.

When at full strength, the Clippers boast two defensive stoppers in Kawhi and Paul George who can help slow the 3-point onslaught the Jazz bring every night. Even with both of their stars missing time, the Clippers have held opponents to the seventh-lowest 3-point percentage in the league.

On the other end, the Clippers lead the league in 3-point percentage and have a roster of shooters who can hold their own.

The Clippers' biggest problem this year has been health. When both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George play, the Clippers are 15-3. When one or both sits, they are 6-6.

If Leonard and George play on Friday, this should be another close contest.

Final Jazz-Clippers Prediction & Pick

With four Clippers questionable, I can't make an official pick just yet. Three players who will have a big impact on the spread (Leonard, George, Conley) have yet to be declared active. I would be surprised if BOTH George and Leonard were activated, which makes me lean toward the Jazz spread. The best move is to wait until the Clippers' injury report clears, but if you'd like to take a risk, I'd jump on Utah's spread now. If one of LA's stars doesn't play, I like the Jazz to win this one comfortably.

FINAL PICK: UTA -5