The Miami Heat (18-17) travel to face off against the Utah Jazz (9-26) on Thursday, January 9th. This game will be played at Delta Center in Salt Lake City and televised on KJZZ. The Heat are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Jazz are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Jazz. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.

Heat vs Jazz

The Heat Are Coming Off A Win

The Heat improved to 18-17 this season with a 114-98 win over the Warriors on Tuesday. Miami, who entered the game as +9 point underdogs, not only won but covered the spread. The total points for the game ended at 212, just under the 216.5 O/U line.

A key moment came when Miami went on a 10-0 run, turning a 35-29 deficit into a 39-35 lead. After leading 84-78 going into the 4th quarter, the Heat outscored the Warriors 30-20 in the final period to seal the win.

The Jazz Are Coming Off A Win

The Jazz fell to 9-26 on the season after a 124-121 home loss to the Hawks on Tuesday. Utah, who entered as +5.5 point underdogs, kept it close, losing by just three. The total score of 245 points went over the pre-game line of 238.5.

Utah’s 12-0 run early in the game gave them an early lead, but they couldn’t maintain it. They won the 2nd quarter 30-29 and lost the 3rd 28-27. Despite a strong push in the 4th, where they outscored Atlanta 32-31, they couldn’t complete the comeback.

Heat Offense Breakdown

The Heat’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their win over the Warriors, shooting 47.3% from the field and hitting 16 threes at a 40% clip. Nikola Jovic led the way with 20 points, including 11 in the 4th quarter, while Bam Adebayo added 19 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 64.3% from the field.

Jaime Jaquez contributed 18 points, with 11 coming in the 1st quarter, and Tyler Herro chipped in 14 points. Alec Burks also made an impact, scoring 8 of his 11 points in the final period.

Jazz Offense Breakdown

In Tuesday’s loss to the Hawks, the Jazz’s offense was led by Lauri Markkanen, who hit 8 threes at a 53.3% rate, finishing with a team-high 35 points. Markkanen was especially effective in the 2nd quarter, scoring 15 points. Overall, the Jazz made 19 threes, shooting 39.6% from beyond the arc.

Collin Sexton added 24 points, with 8 coming in the 4th quarter, while Walker Kessler contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds, scoring 10 points in the final period. The Jazz shot 41.7% from the field in the game.

Heat Team Defense

Defensively, the Heat were solid in their win over the Warriors, holding them to just 98 points. They gave up 23 points in the 1st quarter, 25 in the 2nd, 30 in the 3rd, and finished strong by allowing only 20 points in the 4th.

Miami limited Golden State to 40% shooting from the field and 28% from beyond the arc, where the Warriors made 14 threes. The Heat also sent the Warriors to the line just 5 times, where they hit 4 free throws. Miami recorded 6 steals and 3 blocks.

Jazz Team Defense

The Heat put on a strong defensive performance, holding the Warriors to just 98 points on 40% shooting. Miami’s defense was especially effective in the 4th quarter, where they allowed only 20 points to secure the win.

From beyond the arc, the Heat limited Golden State to 28% shooting, with the Warriors making 14 threes. Miami also sent the Warriors to the free-throw line just 5 times, where they made 4. The Heat finished with 6 steals and 3 blocks.

Heat vs Jazz Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Miami has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 107 points per game.
• In their last five home games, Utah has averaged 115 points per game while allowing 111. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 4-1.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Jazz have gone 8-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 4-6.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the favorite, the Heat have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-3.

Heat vs Jazz Prediction

We’re calling a win for the Heat, with a final score of 119-89, and we’re taking them to cover the spread. Our recommendation is to bet on the Heat at -5.5.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 223.5 and our model has the Heat and Jazz finishing with a combined 208 points. Our pick is to take the under.

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

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* 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.