The Utah Jazz (8-16) travel to face off against the Portland Trail Blazers (6-16) on Thursday, December 14th. This game will be played at Moda Center. The Jazz are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Trail Blazers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Knicks. Tip-off is set for 10:00 ET.

Jazz vs Trail Blazers

The Jazz Are Coming Off A Win

The Jazz took down the Knicks in their most recent game with a final score of 117-113. Heading into the second half, the Jazz were leading 52-50.

As they take on the Trail Blazers, the Jazz are looking to improve their sub .500 record of 8-16. On the road, the Jazz have gone 1-11 this season compared to a 7-5 record at home.

Utah holds a .500 ATS record for the season, standing at 12-12 ATS. This season, Utah has a 3-1 record against the spread when they are favored, and they are 9-11 when playing as underdogs.

The Trail Blazers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their most recent game, the Trail Blazers fell to the Clippers by a score of 132-127. The Trail Blazers managed to secure te win, even though they were behind at halftime 66-65.

Heading into their matchup with the Jazz, the Trail Blazers are 6-16 overall and are looking to snap a four game losing streak. On the road, the Trail Blazers are 4-10 this season compared to a 2-6 record at home.

Portland comes in with an overall ATS record of 11-11 so far this season. When playing on the road, the Trail Blazers hold an ATS record of 9-5 in contrast to a 2-6 record against the spread when playing at home.

Jazz Offense Breakdown

In 24 games games, Utah has an average of 111.6 points per game (23rd). So far, Utah is averaging 99.6 possessions per game, making them one of the more up-tempo teams in the league. Although the team tends to generate a lot of possessions with an up-tempo pace, they are struggling to score inside the arc. Heading into the game, the team is just 24th in made 2-point field goals per contest.

Trail Blazers Offense Breakdown

The Trail Blazers come into today’s game as the 29th ranked scoring offense at 106.5 points per game. So far, the Trail Blazers are averaging 98.4 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. A key aspect of the team’s offensive struggles is the fact that they not only play at a slow pace, but they struggle to score inside. Heading into today’s game, Portland is just 25th in shots made inside the arc.

Jazz Team Defense

Coming into the game, the Jazz’s defense is giving up an average of 120.0 points per game. So far, they have given up more points than the NBA league average in 62.5% of their games.

On two point field goal attempts, the Jazz’s defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 56.8% and allowing 37.1% from beyond the arc.

Trail Blazers Team Defense

Coming into today’s game, the Trail Blazers’ defense is giving up an average of 113.3 points per contest.

Inside the arc, the Trail Blazers defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 57.5% and 32.9% from three-point territory.

Key Players For The Jazz And Trail Blazers

In today’s game, our projections have Lauri Markkanen leading the Jazz with 14 points on 5/9 shooting from the field. During this season, he is delivering an average of 23.7 points per game, along with 8.6 rebounds.

As for Portland, Anfernee Simons is projected to be the primary scorer for the Trail Blazers. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 16, and adding 2 rebounds. Throughout the season, he has maintained a 42.4% field goal shooting rate and is averaging 28.5 points per game.

Jazz vs Trail Blazers Trends

• Across their three previous road games, Utah has an ATS mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-3 while averaging 102 points per game.
• When looking at their past three home matchups, Portland has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 115 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Jazz have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-3.
• The last ten games that Portland was favored, they have an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 7-3 straight up.

Jazz vs Trail Blazers Prediction

Coming in as the underdogs at +3.5, we have the Jazz as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 229 and given that our model is projecting 202 points between the teams, we like the under.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.