The Utah Jazz travel to the Big Apple tonight for their first Eastern Conference matchup of the year against the Brooklyn Nets. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Jazz-Nets prediction.
The Jazz come in with a record of 4-2, and they are 3-3 against the spread so far. They are coming off a blowout win over the San Antonio Spurs in which they covered easily.
The Nets hold a record of 4-3, and they are 2-5 against the spread. Brooklyn's last matchup was a heartbreaking loss to the Washington Wizards after both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant missed potential game-winners.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Jazz-Nets odds.
NBA Odds: Jazz vs. Nets Odds
Utah Jazz -5 (-112)
Brooklyn Nets +5 (-108)
Over 226.5.5 Points (-113)
Under 226.5 Points (-107)
Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
The Brooklyn Nets have one of the most potent offenses in the league, averaging the 5th most points scored in the NBA.
Of course, a key part of their offense will be missing tonight. Kevin Durant will miss the matchup as he quarantines for a week after COVID exposure.
Durant's absence will hurt, but he's not the only star in Brooklyn.
Kyrie Irving has been nearly as hot as Durant, averaging 26.8 points while shooting 49% from the field.
The Nets need Irving to have a spectacular game against an impressive Jazz defense to keep them in this matchup and grab a win.
Brooklyn will aim to exploit two weaknesses in Utah's D to get the win. While Rudy Gobert and company are excellent at preventing scoring, they rank last in forcing turnovers so far. This has been a huge problem for the Nets, who turn the ball over at the fifth highest rate in the league.
Another mismatch for the Jazz is their three-point defense. While Gobert has shut down the paint for opposing offenses, Utah's defense beyond the arc has been league average. Meanwhile, the Nets have flamed teams from deep with the fourth most three-pointers made in the league.
Brooklyn needs an elite display from Irving as well as somebody else stepping up to fill in Durant's void.
If Caris LeVert or Joe Harris can knock down their jumpers and turn this matchup into a fast-paced shootout, the Nets could not only cover, but get their first win in three games.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
After an up-and-down start to their 2020-'21 season, the Jazz have strung together two impressive wins.
After upsetting the Los Angeles Clippers on their home floor, they routed the Spurs in San Antonio to get their first winning streak of the season.
Against Brooklyn, the Jazz have a good chance to bump it to three.
Utah has shown time and time again how good their defense is. They have already held the Clippers and Blazers, two of the highest scoring teams in league, to 100 points this season.
Of all the possible matchups, the Nets could miss Durant the most in this one. The Jazz don't give up many easy buckets, and having a guy that can create his own shot with ease will be sorely missed by Brooklyn here.
Utah will try to turn this into a slow-paced, grind-it-out game, and milk their advantages.
Brooklyn allows the most offensive rebounds in the league, and the Jazz frontcourt of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors should have a field day on the boards.
Barring Donovan Mitchell coming out cold, there is no one on this Brooklyn squad who can guard him. Expect Mitchell to get his buckets tonight against a porous defense.
If the Jazz control the tempo and ride their defense, they'll win a low-scoring affair in Brooklyn.
Final Jazz-Nets Prediction & Pick
We should see an extremely interesting matchup of strength against strength tonight with Brooklyn's offense vs. Utah's defense. In the end, I'll give the edge to the Jazz defense, especially factoring in Durant's absence. I predict that Quin Snyder will be successful in turning this into a slow-paced game that fits the Jazz's play style perfectly. Utah gets their third straight while Brooklyn continues to disappoint.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: UTA 113, BKN 102
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