Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers Betting Pick & Prediction 12/14/23

Don’t miss out on the NBA showdown between the Jazz and Trail Blazers. The game is starting at 10:00 ET on ROOT, and it’s hosted by the Trail Blazers at Moda Center in Portland, OR. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 229 points and the Trail Blazers are the favorite to win at home vs. the Jazz.

UTAH JAZZ VS PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Utah Jazz +3.5

This game will be played at Moda Center at 10:00 ET on Thursday, December 14th.

WHY BET THE UTAH JAZZ:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 102-100 in favor of the Jazz.
• Our projections have Lauri Markkanen finishing with Lauri Markkanen points, 5 rebounds and 1 assists.
• From the field, we have the Jazz finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.5% and knocking down 12 threes.

Will the Jazz Exceed Expectations on the Road?

In their 24 games this season, the Jazz have a record of 8-16 and will be looking to get back to .500 with a win over the Trail Blazers. Against Western Conference teams, the Jazz are 7-13 compared to a 1-3 record in non-conference games.

Against the spread, Utah is .500 so far this season with a mark of 12-12 ATS. On the road, the Jazz have an ATS record of 3-9, as opposed to a 9-3 record against the spread when playing at home.

In their latest game, the Jazz offense put up 117 points against the Knicks. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 43.9% and made 16 threes. Coming into the game, the Jazz offense has strugled with their outside shot this season, hitting threes at a rate of just 35%. On average, they get up 38 three-point attempts per game and are averaging 17.2 made free-throws.

At this time, the Jazz’s defense is positioned 25th in the NBA, permitting 120.0 points per game.

Utah’s defense is currently forcing 16.7 turnovers per game, which is 30th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 9th in blocked shots, with an average of 5.8 rejections per game.

Does Portland Have a Shot at a Home Win?

In non-conference play, the Trail Blazers are 4-4 and are 2-12 against Western Conference opponents. Overall, they are 6-16 and are 1-4 in their last five games.

Against the spread, Portland is .500 so far this season with a mark of 11-11 ATS. On the road, the Trail Blazers have an ATS record of 9-5 compared to a 2-6 record vs. the spread at home.

Portland finished with 127 points in their game against the Clippers. This total surpasses their season-average of 106.5 points per game. Anfernee Simons led the team in scoring, putting up 38 points. Additionally, Shaedon Sharpe contributed 27 points for the Trail Blazers.

At this time, the Trail Blazers’ defense is positioned 15th in the NBA, permitting 113.3 points per game.

In their previous game, the Trail Blazers’ defense struggled against the Clippers, giving up 132 points on a field goal percentage of 47%.