Los Angeles Lakers (20-20) vs. Utah Jazz (19-20)
January 13, 2024 9:30 pm EDT
The Line: Utah Jazz +2.5; Over/Under: +235.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Utah Jazz play host to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Delta Center on Saturday night. Here’s a Jazz vs Lakers Prediction.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers were starting to build some momentum with a couple wins in a row before they got scorched by the Suns in a 127-109 loss on Thursday. D’Angelo Russell led the team in scoring with 19 points and six assists off the bench, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves scored just 13 points each while LeBron James finished with just 10 points and nine assists. As a team, the Lakers shot 50 percent from the field and 13 of 34 from the 3-point line but they allowed the Suns to get off to a flyer and couldn’t gain any ground on the scoreboard until they fell behind by 32 points.
Los Angeles Lakers Team Facts
- The Lakers have lost each of their last nine games at Delta Center following a loss.
- The Lakers have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine games as favorites.
- Eleven of the Lakers’ last 12 road games have gone OVER the total points line.
Utah Jazz
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz have been on fire as they’ve won 10 of their last 12 games now and they will be gunning for a season-high fifth straight victory after blowing past the Raptors in a 145-113 win last night. Lauri Markkanen led the team with 22 points, Jordan Clarkson added 21 points off the bench while Collin Sexton chipped in with 20 points and five assists. As a team, the Jazz shot 55 percent from the field and 21 of 43 from the 3-point line as they asserted their dominance from the start, pouring in 36 points in the second quarter to take a 17-point lead into halftime before they exploded for 81 points in the second half to finish with their biggest win of the season.
Utah Jazz Team Facts
- The Jazz have won seven of their last eight games as home underdogs.
- The Jazz have covered the spread in each of their last nine Saturday games as home underdogs.
- Eight of the Jazz’s last nine home games on the second leg of a back-to-back have gone OVER the total points line.
Jazz vs Lakers Prediction
The Lakers could be shorthanded here with D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish both listed as questionable, while the Jazz are coming in with a full squad once again. The Lakers are still mired in their worst slump of the season and they are coming into this one fresh off one of their worst losses of the season after getting beaten by the Suns, while the Jazz have quietly been playing their best basketball of the season and just ran up the score on the Raptors in a big win last night. Yes, the Jazz are playing this one on zero days rest, but they have been a solid 13-5 at home this season and they are clearly the team in better recent form. The Lakers open as the favorites here, so I’m going with the Jazz who represent decent value as the home underdog.
