Utah
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz Prediction, Preview, and Odds – 1-13-2024
Los Angeles Lakers (19-20) vs. Utah Jazz (19-20)
The 2023-24 NBA season continues Saturday, January 13, with eight games around the Association, so we are taking a closer look at the Western Conference showdown from Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, to bring you the best Lakers vs. Jazz pick.
Los Angeles and Utah continue their three-game regular-season series. Back in November, the Lakers trounced the Jazz 131-99 as 7.5-point home favorites with a total of 239.0 points, extending their winning streak over Utah to three games.
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The Lakers’ shaky form continues
The Los Angeles Lakers fell to 19-20 SU and 16-23 ATS on the season following Thursday’s 127-109 home loss to the Phoenix Suns. After a couple of wins over the Los Angeles Clippers 106-103 and the Toronto Raptors 132-131, the Lakers wrapped up a five-game on a bad note. It was their fifth defeat in seven games.
The Lakers couldn’t cope with the Suns, trailing by as many as 32 points. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for just 23 points, while D’Angelo Russell led the way with 19 points and six assists off the bench. The Lakers handed out 33 assists, but they turned the ball over 18 times while allowing 13 offensive rebounds to their rivals.
“We had a bunch of turnovers in the first half and they made their shots. I thought we were there at different times and forced them into tough situations but they capitalized,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said.
The Lakers have struggled a lot since they won the In-Season Tournament. Now, they are 24th in the league in adjusted offensive efficiency (112.5 points per 100 possessions) and 11th in adjusted defensive efficiency (114.0). The Lakers rank 29th in 3-point rate (35.3) and 21st in turnover percentage (12.8%).
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The Jazz play without rest
Friday’s games have been excluded from this preview, and the 19-20 Utah Jazz hosted the Toronto Raptors, searching for their fourth straight victory. Over their previous three outings, the Jazz have defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 120-109, Milwaukee Bucks 132-116, and Denver Nuggets 124-111.
Last Wednesday, the Jazz cruised past the reigning NBA champions while making 55.4% of their field goals (13-for-33 from deep). Utah outscored Denver 54-40 in the paint, and Jordan Clarkson led the charge with 27 points and nine assists through 33 minutes off the bench. Lauri Markkanen posted a double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Collin Sexton notched 22 points and four dishes.
The Jazz were tied with the Lakers for the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference on Friday morning. Utah was 19th in the NBA in adjusted offensive efficiency (114.5) and 22nd in adjusted defensive efficiency (117.6).
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Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
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The Jazz have been terrific lately, winning nine of their last 11 games prior to Friday’s clash against the Raptors. On the other side, the Lakers have dropped ten of their previous 14 contests. They are without Rui Hachimura (calf) and Gabe Vincent (knee), while Cam Reddish (knee) and Christian Wood (illness) are both questionable to play against the Jazz.
It’s hard to back the Lakers at the moment, but I don’t trust the Jazz to get the job done on the second day of a back-to-back set. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be fired up to bounce back from a lousy performance in the Suns game, so I’ll take the Lakers to cover.
Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers -2.5 (-110)
Full-Game Total Pick
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The Lakers don’t rely on 3-point shooting, but they love to pick up the pace and push the ball in transition. Purple-and-Gold are sixth in the NBA in pace (100.7 possessions per 48 minutes), while the Jazz are 12th with 99.7 possessions per 48 minutes. Utah is seventh in the league in 3-point rate (41.1), so I expect an up-tempo, high-scoring affair at Delta Center.
The total has gone over in eight of the Lakers’ last 12 games overall and 11 of their last 12 outings on the road. Five of the previous six encounters between the Lakers and Jazz have gone over, too.
Prediction: Go over 235.5 points (-110)