A whopping 80% of the NBA’s teams play on Thursday night, providing fans with plenty of intriguing matchups. Lakers vs. Jazz may not be a battle of powerhouses, but it still contains some intrigue.
The late-window game (9:00 p.m. ET) sees Los Angeles and Utah go toe-to-toe at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. With the Lakers off to a great start and the Jazz faring better than expected, there could be fireworks.
Below, we’ll break down a Lakers vs. Jazz prediction and picks to consider for Thursday night’s game. Use PrizePicks NBA to make player picks and win money if you’re right.
Lakers vs. Jazz Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
Thursday marks the 206th time the Lakers and Jazz will square off in the regular season. With Los Angeles owning a 122-83 series lead, including back-to-back wins this November, the pressure is on Utah to start closing the gap.
The evening injury report sees multiple noteworthy players listed as out. That includes Lakers C Deandre Ayton (elbow) and SG Austin Reaves (calf), as well as Jazz C Walker Kessler (shoulder). Utah F Lauri Markkanen, nursing a groin ailment, is listed as questionable.
Lakers vs. Jazz Over/Under, Spread
The Lakers enter Thursday’s game as 6.5-point road favorites, returning a 1.29x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Jazz are home underdogs with a 3.33x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Los Angeles Lakers -6.5
- Over/Under: 244.5
- Game Winner Payout: Lakers 1.29x | Jazz 3.33x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Lakers vs. Jazz Prediction on Spread
- Both teams are coming off wins, but the Lakers are 7-3 in their last 10 compared to the Jazz’s 5-5 record.
- In year two with JJ Redick at head coach, the team ranks seventh in offensive rating and 14th in net rating.
- Los Angeles is 16-9 against the spread, the second-best record leaguewide (the Knicks are 18-8). The Lake Show is 10-4 ATS on the road.
- Entering Thursday’s play, the Lakers boast the NBA’s top 2-point percentage (60.5) and the fourth-highest effective field goal percentage (57.5).
- Despite narrowly being a play-in team right now (10th seed), the Jazz have the NBA’s fifth-worst average scoring margin (-7.1).
- Utah’s 120.5 defensive rating is 29th in the sport, paired with the same ranking for opposing field goals made per game (44.9).
Lakers vs. Jazz NBA Picks, Stats for PrizePicks Today
Here are three top Lakers vs. Jazz picks to target on Thursday. Key PrizePicks player projections are headlined by G Luka Doncic, F LeBron James, and PG Keyonte George.
Lakers G Luka Doncic vs. Jazz Projection: 45.5 Pts + Rebs
- On the year, Doncic averages 43.4 combined points and rebounds. In his last 10 games, that number is 44.1.
- Doncic leads the NBA in shot attempts per game (23.1), 3-point tries per night (10.7) and both made (9.9) and attempted (12.3) free throws.
- The NBA’s first-quarter scoring leader (8.3 PPG) could find success against a Utah team that gives up more opening-frame points (32.4) than all but one team.
- Among all guards averaging 30+ minutes per game, Doncic leads the way with a 67.1 rebound chance percentage.
Lakers F LeBron James vs. Jazz Projection: 35.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- In nine games since making his season debut on Nov. 18, James averages 30.5 points, rebounds, and assists. His PRA average in his last three outings, though, is 39.
- Has James found his footing in those three games? He shot 56.3%, canned 35.7% of his 3-point tries and poured in 24.7 PPG in matchups with the 76ers, Spurs, and Suns.
- James’ 16.4 potential assists per 100 and 13.9% defensive rebounding rate are 94th and 77th-percentile marks, via databallr.
- The Jazz give up the third- and fifth-most fantasy points per game to the SF and PF positions, respectively, per FantasyPros.
Jazz PG Keyonte George vs. Lakers Projection: 31.5 Pts + Asts
- George is breaking out in his third season, setting career-high marks with 23.5 points and 6.8 assists per game.
- According to NBARAPM, George’s 27.2 true shot attempts per 100 is an 89th-percentile mark. His +1.3 true shooting added per 100 is in the 88th percentile.
- The former No. 16 overall pick spends 38.4% of his time on the ball, which puts him in the 89th percentile.
- Despite their record, the Lakers have the 20th-ranked defensive rating at 118.0. Utah, who plays at the fourth-fastest pace (102.98), could test that unit.
Make Lakers vs. Jazz Picks on PrizePicks
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Just choose players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and follow the hoops action to see if your picks hit.
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