It will be a battle between Northwest Division opponents when the Utah Jazz (18-12) welcome the Portland Trail Blazers (14-17) to Vivint Smart Home Arena. The game begins at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 26, 2019.
Utah opened as a 5.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 220 points.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Utah Jazz ATS Prediction
In the Trail Blazers’ last contest, they were 6-point favorites and fell to the New Orleans Pelicans, 102-94. The combined points for the game (196) finished well under the O/U total of 230. New Orleans’ rebounding was their biggest strength. The Pelicans had 13 offensive rebounds and 55 total rebounds, while the Trail Blazers had eight and 48, respectively. Portland’s Hassan Whiteside put together a good outing, contributing 11 points and 16 rebounds.
The Jazz lost a close one to the Miami Heat in their last contest, 107-104, but were able to cover as 4.5-point underdogs. The game’s combined points (211) were just under the O/U total of 214. Miami was successful at getting and making free throws. The Heat made 24 of their 27 free throws (88.9 percent), while the Jazz were 14-18 (77.8 percent). With 18 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks, Utah’s Rudy Gobert had a solid performance.
Looking at effective field goal percentage, Utah figures to have a considerable edge. The Jazz defense ranks eighth in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.502), while the Portland offense is ranked 20th in effective field goal percentage (0.517).
Portland holds records of 14-17 straight up (SU) and 13-16-2 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Trail Blazers games, with 16 unders compared to 14 overs.
Utah has a respectable 18-12 SU record, but they have trouble covering the spread (11-17-2 ATS). Similarly to Portland, Jazz games have gone under the total 53.3 percent of the time.
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. CJ McCollum (26 points,3.6 assists,1.2 steals) has been fantastic for the Trail Blazers while Gobert (17 points,16.4 rebounds,2.0 blocks) has made solid contributions to the Jazz.
After splitting four games last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Trail Blazers won the most recent game 132-105. The Trail Blazers had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (28.2 vs. 18.6) and had a better turnover percentage (11.5 vs. 14.5).
Trail Blazers vs. Jazz Betting Pick
NBA Prediction: ATS Winner – Trail Blazers, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
On the road, Portland is 7-8-1 ATS with 9 unders, 6 overs and 1 push.
Utah is 5-8-1 ATS at home with 8 overs and 6 unders.
When holding opponents under 100 points, Utah is 6-1 and Portland is 3-0.
The Trail Blazers are 14-12 when they reach the century mark, while the Jazz are 17-7.
Portland ranks second in blocks per game (6.7) while Utah ranks 27th (4.2).
The Jazz rank ninth in second chance points allowed per game (12.3) while the Trail Blazers rank last (15.8).
Utah ranks seventh in rebounds allowed per game (43.8) while Portland ranks 28th (48.2).
The Trail Blazers rank 13th in fast break points per game (13.6) while the Jazz rank 28th (10.4).
Utah ranks fifth in three pointers allowed per game (31.7) while Portland ranks 17th (34.2).
The Jazz rank first in assists allowed per game (20.7) while the Trail Blazers rank eighth (22.9).
Utah ranks 22nd in points in the paint per game (45.5) while Portland ranks 28th (43.5).
Neither of these teams are great at stealing the ball. The Jazz are 28th in the NBA with 6.1 steals per game while the Trail Blazers are 29th with 6.1 steals per game.
Utah ranks 28th in points off turnovers per game (14.5) while Portland ranks 29th (14.1).
In its last five contests, Portland is 2-2-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Utah is 1-2-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over its last five games.
The Trail Blazers have outscored opponents by an average of 5.0 points in their last five games. On the season, Portland has been defeated by an average of 0.9 points.
During their last five games, the Jazz have scored an average of 110.4 points per game (3.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 105.6 points per game (0.7 below their season average).
