In one of three late-night games on Thursday, the Portland Trail Blazers will play the Utah Jazz at 10 p.m. ET. The last time these two teams played each other, the Jazz won 120-100 over the Trail Blazers on Christmas Eve.
The Trail Blazers are coming into this game off of a 133-116 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. Despite the defeat, Portland has won three out of their last five games and are 6-4 in their last 10 games. As for the Jazz, they have lost two-straight games, which includes a 117-113 overtime defeat to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. Utah has a record of 8-2 in their last 10.
Can the Blazers even up the season series with the Jazz? Or will Utah snap their losing skid on Thursday night? We’ll go over some ideal picks on DraftKings Sportsbook centered around the game here.
Trail Blazers vs. Jazz, 10:00 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
Pick ATS: Jazz -6
The line for Thursday night’s game is currently set at 6.0 points, with the Jazz listed as the favorite at home. The Trail Blazers will be looking to avenge their early season loss to Utah, where they lost by 20 points in Portland. They will also try to get a game above .500 inside their division as they have a record of 4-4.
The Blazers have been playing solid basketball with a 6-4 record in their last 10 games. They are averaging 117 points per game and shooting 44.5% from the field. However, the Blazers are allowing opposing teams to score 115.2 points per game and shoot 49.2% from the field. That is not a recipe for success and something they cannot afford to happen — especially vs. a team like the Jazz. Portland is 4-2 against the spread in their last six games against Utah but 3-7 ATS in their last 10 contests versus a team from the Western Conference.
Additionally, Portland is a solid 15-10 against the spread as the away team and 11-10 ATS as an underdog. The Jazz will be playing in their second game of a back-to-back. Utah lost a hard-fought overtime contest to the Phoenix Suns. In that game, Donovan Mitchell had a game-high 41 points on 16-of-35 shooting from the field and 4-of-12 from three-point range. The Jazz had five players in double figures, but shot 25% from three-point range and were crushed on the glass 61-45 by Phoenix.
Utah is shockingly 1-4 against the spread in their last five games and 1-7 ATS in their last eight games against a team from the Western Conference. This season, the Jazz are an impressive 18-5-1 against the spread at home. Lastly, on the second night of a back-to-back, Utah is 6-2 against the spread.
Player Prop: Bojan Bogdanovic O15.5 points (+100)
Usually, when these two teams are playing, three-point props are the way to go. But they are surprisingly juiced for both the Jazz and Blazers, so we will stay away from that. However, a prop that we will go after is Bojan Bogdanovic over 15.5 points.
This season, Bogdanvoic has been solid for the Jazz, averaging 14.9 points on 41.9% shooting from the field and 38.2% from three-point range. In Utah’s last 10 games, he’s averaging 14.3 points per game, which is close to his season average. But within those 10 contests, he has gone over 15.5 points seven times. Over the last five games, his points per game has skyrocketed to 18.8 points per game on 47.2% shooting from the field.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).21+ (18+ NH). CO/IL/IN/IA/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.