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The Toronto Raptors stay on the road to take on the Utah Jazz Friday night. Below we will continue with our NBA odds series with a Raptors-Jazz prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
The Raptors are 2-3 on their current road trip, and will look to finish .500. Toronto is coming off two straight losses in Los Angeles as they played both the Lakers and Clippers. The Raptors played the Jazz once already just before Christmas. In that game, the Raptors were led by Scottie Barnes as he put up 32 points and 14 rebounds. As a team, the Raptors shot 47.9 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from beyond the arc in the loss. Jakob Poeltl is out with an ankle injury while Pascal Siakam is questionable with a back injury for Friday's game.
The Jazz are 19-20, and they have won their last three games. They did not play any easy teams, either. Utah was able to go on the road and beat the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Denver Nuggets. In their win over the Raptors earlier this season, the Jazz put up 126 points. Lauri Markannen scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win. Jordan Clarkson had 30 points off the bench, as well. Utah shot over 50 percent from the field, and 44.7 percent from three in the win.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Raptors-Jazz Odds
Toronto Raptors: +3 (-110)
Moneyline: +124
Utah Jazz: -3 (-110)
Moneyline: -146
Over: 241 (-108)
Under: 241 (-112)
How to Watch Raptors vs. Jazz
Time: 9:30 PM ET/6:30 PM PT
TV: Sportsnet (Canada), KJZZ-TV Channel 14
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
Toronto needs to take advantage of the Jazz's lack of defense. Utah allows the eighth-most points per game, and teams take the sixth-most shots against them. The Jazz like to push the pace causing these extra shots, and the Raptors need to just make their shots. Toronto will get their open shots, it is just a matter of whether or not the Jazz knock them down.
Toronto will not have Poeltl and it is possible they will be without Siakam, as well. However, Barnes is playing and he had a massive game the last time he played the Jazz. Furthermore, Barnes has averaged 19.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game on the road this season. Barnes is going to be the heart of this team, and he needs to have a big game for the Raptors to win.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
The Jazz have played very well on their three-game win streak. Utah has scored 120, 132, and 124 points in their wins. In their last five games, the Jazz are averaging 125.4 points per game. Utah has been finding it very easy to score the basketball lately, and that needs to continue. The Raptors have allowed 124.4 points per game in their last five. Utah should be able to continue their scoring in this one and win.
The Jazz are 12-3 when they score 120+ points this season. It would not be surprising to see the Jazz get to that mark in this game. If they do, they will have put themselves in a great position to win the game and cover the spread.
Final Raptors-Jazz Prediction & Pick
This is going to be a close game. However, the Jazz are just playing very good basketball right now. For this reason, I am going to take the Jazz to cover the spread.
Final Raptors-Jazz Prediction & Pick: Jazz -3 (-110)
