The Utah Jazz (16-19) travel to face off against the Boston Celtics (26-7) on Friday, January 5th. This game will be played at TD Garden. The Jazz are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Celtics are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pistons. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Jazz vs Celtics

The Jazz Are Coming Off A Win

The Jazz picked up a win over the Pistons in their latest game, finishing with a score of 154-148. The Jazz tipped off as -8.5-point favorites, but despite their 6 point victory, they couldn’t cover the spread. Before the game, the over/under line was 241.5 points, and both teams ended up surpassing that mark.

As we get ready for today’s game, the Jazz are 16-19 overall and will need to bring their A-game if they want to get a win. They are +14 underdogs for this game. In Western Conference games, the Jazz are 10-15 and 6-4 in non-conference games.

Utah has an overall ATS record of 20-15 as they come into today’s game. The Jazz maintain an ATS record of 8-11 on the road, while they have a 12-4 record vs. the spread when playing at home.

The Celtics Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Most recently, the Celtics lost to the Thunder with a final score of 127-123. Besides losing the game outright, the Celtics also fell short against the spread, failing to cover as -4 point favorites. Before the game, the over/under line was 240 points, and both teams ended up surpassing that mark.

Heading into today’s game vs. the Jazz, the Celtics are looking to build on their above .500 record of 26-7. When playing against other teams from the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are 21-4 and have gone 5-3 in non-conference games.

Boston currently has an ATS record below .500, sitting at 15-16 at this point. The Celtics maintain an ATS record of 6-10 on the road, while they have a 9-6 record vs. the spread when playing at home.

Jazz Offense Breakdown

Utah has recorded an average of 114.9 points per game (16th) throughout 35 games games. In terms of pace, the Jazz are one of the top units in the NBA, averaging 99.7 possessions per game. Even though the team adopts an up-tempo pace, there is room for improvement in their scoring efficiency, as they rank 25th in the league in terms of overall field goal percentage, currently at 53%.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

Coming into today’s action, Boston is averaging 120.8 points per contest. This figure places them 5th in the league. The Celtics come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 16 made 3’s per game. A key to the teams offensive success is their ability to avoid turning the ball over. So far, Boston is ranked 8th in fewest turnovers per game.

Jazz Team Defense

At this time, the Jazz’s defense is positioned 23rd in the NBA, permitting 118.8 points per game. In their previous game, the Jazz’s defense struggled against the Pistons, giving up 148 points on a field goal percentage of 53%.

Celtics Team Defense

So far, the Celtics’ defense is ranked 5th in the league at 110.8 points per contest. For the season, Boston is ranked 29th in fewest fouls per game. Team’s are averaging 18.8 free-throws per game vs. the Celtics and have an overall field goal percentage of 45.2%.

Key Players For The Jazz And Celtics

In today’s game, our projections have Lauri Markkanen leading the Jazz with 24 points on 8/17 shooting from the field. Throughout this season, his average stands at 23.5 points per game, along with 8.4 rebounds.

As for Boston, Jayson Tatum is projected to be the primary scorer for the Celtics. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 26, and adding 9 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 47.4%, and his scoring average is 27 points per game.

Jazz vs Celtics Trends

• Across the Jazz last ten road games, the team averaged 112 points per game while allowing 120. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 6-4, while going 4-6 straight-up.
• Boston has played well in their previous five home games, going 4-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 134 points per game while allowing 114. The team also performed well vs the spread at 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 7-3.
• Against the spread, the Celtics have put together 1-2 in their last three games as the betting favorite. In these same games, they went 2-1 straight up.

Jazz vs Celtics Prediction

In this Celtics vs. Celtics matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Jazz at +14. While we project the Celtics to win 111-107, our recommendation is to bet on the Jazz for the point-spread.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 239.5, and our model predicts the Jazz and Celtics to score a combined 218 points. We recommend betting on 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.