Lakers vs. Jazz: Joe’s NBA Picks and Betting Preview

Los Angeles Lakers (32-19 SU, 28-22 ATS) vs. Utah Jazz (12-40 SU, 26-26 ATS)

When: Wednesday, February 12th, 9:00 PM (ET)

Where: Delta Center, UT, Salt Lake City

TV: SN-LA

Point Spread: LAL -8.5/UT +8.5

Total: 236.5

Money Line: Los Angeles Lakers -338/+270

Notable Injuries

Lakers

• LeBron James (Probable) Abdominal
• Dorian Finney-Smith (Out) Ankle
• Maxi Kleber (Out) Foot
• Luka Dončić (Questionable) Calf
• Gabe Vincent (Out) Knee
• Cam Reddish (Out) Personal
• Austin Reaves (Probable) Elbow
• Bronny James Jr. (Questionable) Forearm

Jazz

• Collin Sexton (Out) Ankle
• Kenyon Martin Jr. (Out) Conditioning
• Taylor Hendricks (Out) Leg/Ankle

At 9:00 ET, the Lakers (-338) will take on the Jazz (+270) in Salt Lake City. The Lakers (-8.5) are favored over the Jazz, and the over/under line is currently set at 236.5.

Los Angeles (32-19) is currently on a six-game winning streak and is 4th in the Western Conference. Utah (12-40) is on a three-game losing streak and is 14th in the West.

Recent Form

The Lakers improved to 32-19 on the season with a 132-113 win over the Jazz on Monday. Playing at home, Los Angeles entered the game as -12 point favorites and covered the spread. The total points of 245.5 exceeded the O/U line of 235.5 by 9.5 points.

Los Angeles took control early, leading 37-25 after the 1st quarter and 35-22 in the 2nd. A 14-0 run pushed their lead from 66-47 to 80-47. The Jazz outscored the Lakers 38-32 in the 4th, but the game was already in hand, with the Lakers leading 100-75 going into the final period.

The Jazz fell to 12-40 on the season after a 132-113 road loss to the Lakers on Monday. Utah entered the game as +12 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total score of 245 points went over the pre-game line of 235.5 by 9.5 points.

Utah got off to a rough start, trailing 37-25 after the 1st quarter and 72-47 at halftime. The Lakers went on a 14-0 run, pushing the score from 66-47 to 80-47. While the Jazz outscored the Lakers 38-32 in the 4th quarter, it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit.

The Historicals

When looking at how these teams have performed vs the spread in recent matchups, the Jazz have an ATS mark of 3-2. Yet, the Lakers have averaged more points per game in these contests, at 124, compared to Utah, at 124. Over the course of these games, they averaged 241 points per game, leading a 4-1 over-under record.

Analysis

LeBron James led the Lakers with 24 points and eight assists in their win over the Jazz, shooting 58.8% from the field and hitting three threes at 42.9%. Austin Reaves added 22 points, nine rebounds, and three threes, shooting 60% overall. Rui Hachimura also contributed three threes, finishing with 21 points on 57.1% shooting.

The Lakers made 15 threes as a team, shooting 35.7% from deep, and finished with an overall field goal percentage of 54.3%. Jordan Goodwin scored 11 of his 17 points in the 4th quarter, while Jaxson Hayes added 6 of his 12 points in the final period.

The Lakers put together a strong defensive performance in the 1st and 2nd quarters, allowing just 25 and 22 points, respectively, in their win over the Jazz. However, they gave up 38 points in the 4th quarter. Overall, they held Utah to 113 points on 46% shooting.

From beyond the arc, the Lakers limited the Jazz to 12 made threes on 30% shooting. They sent Utah to the line 27 times, where they converted 23 free throws. Los Angeles grabbed 34 defensive rebounds while allowing 11 offensive boards, and they added 11 steals.

In their 132-113 loss to the Lakers, the Jazz shot 46.4% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 30% of their threes, making 12 in total. John Collins and Lauri Markkanen led the team with 17 points each, with Collins also grabbing 11 rebounds.

Jordan Clarkson added 16 points, connecting on three threes at 30%. Johnny Juzang scored 11 of his 14 points in the 4th quarter, while Isaiah Collier added 7 of his 13 points in the final period.

The Jazz struggled defensively against the Lakers, giving up 132 points on 54% shooting. Utah allowed 37 points in the 1st quarter and 35 in the 2nd, with the Lakers scoring 32 in the 4th to seal the win.

From three-point range, the Lakers hit 15 threes at a 35% clip. Utah sent the Lakers to the line 18 times, where they made 17 free throws. The Jazz finished with six steals and three blocks.

Betting Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, Los Angeles has an ATS record of 3-1-1 while averaging 120 per game. The team went 4-1 overall in these games.
• Through their last five home games, Utah has an ATS record of just 0-5. However, their overall record was 0-5 while averaging 111 points per game.
• Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Jazz have gone 2-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-4.
• Through their last three games as the favorite, the Lakers have an ATS record of 3-0 and a straight-up mark of 3-0.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

The Lakers and Jazz face off once again, after they just played on Monday, with the Lakers getting an easy win in Luka Doncic’s debut. Doncic played just 24 minutes, and the Lakers figure to be careful with him for the time being. Right now, the line is at -8.5 in favor of LA, and I see them winning and covering once again.