The Los Angeles Lakers host the Utah Jazz for late-night action Friday night! It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Jazz-Lakers prediction and pick.

The Jazz are playing very well this season despite trading away their two stars in Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. They are (6-3) on the season and have beaten good teams like the Memphis Grizzlies twice, the Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Jazz have plenty of depth and could potentially package some up for a star player if they continue to play well. Utah is coming off a loss to the Dallas Mavericks 103-100.

The Lakers have won their last two games after losing their first five. The Lakers just need their trio to be healthy and if Russell Westbrook accepts the role off the bench then they can find success. They took down the New Orleans Pelicans in overtime last time out after Matt Ryan drained the game-tying three to force OT. LeBron James and company took care of business and suddenly there is life in LA again.

Here are the Jazz-Lakers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NBA Odds: Jazz-Lakers Odds

Utah Jazz: +3.5 (-114)

Los Angeles Lakers: -3.5 (-106)

Over: 229 (-110)

Under: 229 (-110)

Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread

Heading into the year the Jazz were written off after the offseason dump. Well, so far this season it seems that the core of players they brought in all can play with each other. Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen both came from the Cleveland Cavaliers and are leading the team in scoring along with Jordan Clarkson. They have six players who are averaging double figures in scoring with Markkanen leading the way at 21.7 per game.

The Jazz play big which should match up well with this Lakers team. Jarred Vanderbilt and Lauri Markkanen start at the forwards with Kelly Olynyk starting at center. It isn't a pretty lineup, but it has gotten the job done with Sexton and Malik Beasley coming off the bench. Rudy Gay brings veteran leadership to this young core along with Mike Conley. Who knows how long their success will last but for now, they seem to have chemistry and are proving everyone wrong.

Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread

LeBron and Anthony Davis are averaging a combined 48 points per game and Lonnie Walker IV is third at 16.1 per game. Walker is starting at guard along with Patrick Beverley as Westbrook comes off the bench. LeBron is still doing his thing averaging 25/9/7.4 along with 1.3 steals per game. Whenever he is on the court the Lakers will always have a shot at winning. It's going to be a long season and he will certainly miss games. For now, having him and AD on the court is crucial and if that is the case then it will be hard to write this team off.

It's been a rough offensive season for LA, especially during that losing streak. The Lakers are 28th in scoring at just 107.4 points per game. A reason for that is they are 29th in team field-goal percentage at just 43.2%. The team doesn't have any three-point shooting threats and that must change if they want to get back on track. Luckily, their defense has been keeping them alive as they are 12th in points allowed at 111.4 per game.

Final Jazz-Lakers Prediction & Pick

This has the makings of another close game. Both of the Lakers' wins were tight and because the Jazz are playing well right now, I like them to cover this spread on the road in LA.

Final Jazz-Lakers Prediction & Pick: Jazz +3.5 (-114)