We’ve got another exciting Western Conference matchup on Wednesday’s NBA schedule as the Utah Jazz will host the Los Angeles Lakers. These teams will meet for the second time in three days after L.A. won at home, 132-113, on Monday in Luka Doncic’s debut with the team as he had 14 points in 24 minutes. Doncic is listed as probable due to a calf injury for tonight’s clash as Monday’s contest was his first since Christmas Day. Utah is 12-40 overall and 5-18 at home, while Los Angeles is 32-19 overall and 13-13 on the road. In addition to Doncic, LeBron James (ankle) and Austin Reaves (elbow) are also listed as questionable for Los Angeles.
Tipoff is at 9 p.m. ET from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Los Angeles is favored by 9 points in the latest Jazz vs. Lakers odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 235.5 points. L.A. is at -397 on the money line (risk $397 to win $100), while Utah is at +313 (risk $100 to win $313). Before entering any Lakers vs. Jazz picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 17 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 147-104 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $4,000. It’s also an outstanding 18-9 (67%) on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Los Angeles vs. Utah. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Lakers vs. Jazz:
- Jazz vs. Lakers spread: Jazz +9
- Jazz vs. Lakers over/under: 235.5 points
- Jazz vs. Lakers money line: Jazz: +313, Lakers: -397
- UTA: The Jazz are 26-26 against the spread (ATS)
- LAL: The Lakers are 28-23 ATS
- Jazz vs. Lakers picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Jazz vs. Lakers streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Lakers can cover
Everything went the Lakers’ way against Utah on Monday as the Lakers made off with a 132-113 win. With Los Angeles ahead 72-47 at the half, the contest was all but over already. Doncic (14 points) was one of seven Lakers in double-figures, which shows that the team is more than just he and James, who led Los Angeles with 24 points to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds.
The Lakers certainly picked the right opponent for Doncic to play his first couple of games against as Utah is one of the most giving teams in the NBA on the defensive end of the court. It ranks among the bottom five in the league in points allowed, defensive rating, field goal percentage allowed and 3-pointers allowed per game. The Jazz are without their second-leading scorer, Collin Sexton (ankle), and the Lakers have an average margin of victory of 10.5 points over their four-game win streak against the Jazz. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Jazz can cover
Despite the Monday defeat to the Lakers, Utah has covered in two of three matchups against Los Angeles this season. Additionally, the Jazz have covered in each of their last three games at the Delta Center, while the Lakers haven’t fully embraced the role of a road favorite versus the spread. L.A. is just 4-7 as an away favorite this season, and the Lakers are also under .500 ATS across all road games this season.
The Lakers should only gain more chemistry as Doncic and James get used to playing with each other, so these first few games with them together is the time to exploit their lack of cohesion. Utah did hold Doncic to 5 of 14 shooting (35.7%) on Monday, and you can’t ignore the calf injury which has him listed as questionable. He didn’t even play half the game on Monday and will likely be limited again on Wednesday, if he takes the court. If Utah sticks to its strength — such as pounding the offensive glass, as it ranks third in offensive rebound percentage, while the Lakers are 26th in total rebounds — then Utah can remain competitive and stay within the spread. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Jazz vs. Lakers picks
The model has simulated Lakers vs. Jazz 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, projecting 234 combined points, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits over 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Jazz vs. Lakers, and which side of the spread hits over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Lakers vs. Jazz spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 147-104 roll on top-rated NBA picks since last season, and find out.
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