Two teams that find themselves in the upper echelon of the Western Conference will meet with major standings implications on the line. Join us for our NBA odds series, where our Jazz-Suns prediction and pick will be made.
The Jazz got off to a frenzied start to begin the season, but since then, Utah has lost six of their last eight games and now sit with a record of 12-9. In addition, the Jazz enters this contest in the midst of a three-game losing skid. However, the Jazz will try to have another showing as they did in a 134-133 win versus the Suns back on Nov 18th.
Currently occupying the number-one spot out west, Phoenix has seemingly caught fire and has been victorious in four of their previous five contests overall including surviving a home scare to the Pistons by a score of 108-102. Do the Suns have what it takes to come away with a fourth-consecutive win?
Here are the Jazz-Suns NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Jazz-Suns Odds
Utah Jazz: +6 (-114)
Phoenix Suns: -6 (-108)
Over: 232.5 (-110)
Under: 232.5 (-110)
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
Storming out of the gates as the hottest team in the NBA, the Jazz has cooled down slightly and are looking to find a way to halt their losing ways in their tracks before it gets too out of hand. For starters, the Jazz simply needs to shoot a whole lot better than they did in the loss to Golden State on Friday. Although they did muster up 118 points that would usually get the job done en route to victory, Utah could not overcome a poor shooting display from three that eventually led to a horrendous 24% from downtown.
It was no doubt a struggle, but the Jazz can find solace in the fact that it could've been just a minor blimp in the bigger picture of how this season has played out for Utah. As a whole, the Jazz has posted the 11th-best three-point percentage from deep and shouldn't be expected to shoot as badly as they did last night.
In addition, the greatest chance of the Jazz finding a way to cover lies in their ability to defend the paint with much more efficiency in comparison to the last time they squared off. Alas, Utah held the Suns' three-point shooting in check as Phoenix only went 9-30 from deep, but Devin Booker still exploded for 49 points and had his way with Utah's defensive effort. If Utah is going to cover the spread, then finding a way to slow down the Suns offense while coming away with productive offensive possessions themselves will need to take place.
Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread
One of the preseason picks to come away with the Western Conference crown, the Suns would want nothing more to use their newfound winning momentum to start to pull away from the rest of the competition. Although Phoenix only holds a 0.5-game lead for the one-seed, another victory that could also cover the spread would obviously do wonders.
In order to accomplish such a feat, Phoenix will need to continue to play stellar basketball without their court general in Chris Paul who remains sidelined with a heel injury. Since Paul was ruled out nearly three weeks ago with the setback, the Suns have had to rely on different playmakers in the point guard position, none more important than Cameron Payne. Although Payne is a different type of point guard than Paul and instead relies on his slashing ability in the paint to score, he has put up respectable numbers filling in and will need to continue to give the Suns solid minutes to make it easier for the team to cover.
In regards to who else will step up on this roster other than Devin Booker, look no further than big man Deandre Ayton to put up gaudy numbers as he did against Detroit. Logging a total of 30 minutes in the win, Ayton stuffed the stat sheet like it was a Thanksgiving feast for 28 points on 11/13 shooting that also included 12 rebounds. With the absence of Rudy Gobert in the middle, there is no excuse for the Suns t take advantage of the paint yet again.
Final Jazz-Suns Prediction & Pick
Both squads will be missing their starting point guards as Mike Conley is expected to remain out with a lower leg injury, but the Suns possess far-more depth than the Jazz and won't be as affected by being shorthanded. Not only that, but Phoenix rarely loses at home with a 10-1 record in 11 games at the Footprint Center.
Final Jazz-Suns Prediction & Pick: Suns -6 (-108)
Follow Us
Subscribe