Donovan Mitchell Returns To Utah | Cavaliers vs Jazz | OSB
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Utah Jazz
By Sam Batz
The Cleveland Cavaliers (nba.com/cavaliers) will continue their road trip on Tuesday, Jan, 10th in Salt Lake City where they will face the Utah Jazz (nba.com/jazz). Cleveland is coming off a big win over Phoenix on Sunday, beating the Suns 112-98. The Cavs are in the middle of a five game road trip and are 8-11 in away games this season. Cleveland will look to improve that record on Tuesday against a run-of-the-mill Utah Jazz team.
Utah is the 12th seed in the West with a 20-23 record. They have struggled to string together a series of wins, going 3-7 in their last 10. Power Forward Lauri Markkanen leads the team with 24.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The Jazz are Markkanen’s third team since being drafted in 2017, but it seems he finally found his home. The 25-year old Finnish sensation is having the best season of his career, and could even see his first All-Star selection. While Markkanen has shined, the rest of the team has faded. Veteran players like Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, and Rudy Gay are losing their fire and the Jazz and suffering because of it. They could have a tough time competing against an energetic Cavaliers side.
Cleveland is 26-15 and are the 4th seed in the East. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games, scoring 114.4 points and allowing 112.6 over that same stretch. The Cavs lead the league in the least amount of points allowed but have struggled on offense at times. Donovan Mitchell has been the exception to the Cavaliers offensive woes, averaging 28.8 points per game. Mitchell also holds the record for the most-points in a single-game this season, scoring an incredible 71 points against the Chicago Bulls. On Tuesday, Mitchell goes back to Salt Lake City for the first time since being traded away by the Jazz and will look to take down his old team for the second time this season.
Cavaliers vs. Jazz By The Numbers:
Team |
Points Per Game |
Points Allowed Per Game |
Field Goal % |
3-Point % |
Offensive Rating |
Defensive Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Utah Jazz |
117.6 (3rd) |
116.9 (24th) |
47.3% (14th) |
36.4% (13th) |
116.0 (3rd) |
115.1 (27th) |
|
Cleveland Cavaliers |
111.5 (25th) |
106.6 (1st) |
48.2% (7th) |
36.5% (11th) |
113.9 (10th) |
109.0 (1st) |
Cavaliers vs. Jazz Odds
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Betting Trends
- The Jazz are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games
- The Cavaliers are 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games
- The Jazz are 10-9 ATS at home
- The Cavaliers are 7-12 ATS on the road
- The Jazz are 4-9 ATS against the Eastern Conference
- The Cavaliers are 7-9 ATS against the Western Conference
- The Jazz have an Over/Under record of 25-18
- The Cavaliers have an Over/Under record of 19-22
- The Jazz have gone OVER in 8 of their last 10 games
- The Cavaliers have gone OVER in 7 of their last 10 games
- The Jazz are 12-12 as the Underdog this season
- The Cavaliers are 23-9 as the Favorite this season
Cavaliers vs. Jazz All-Time Series
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Utah Jazz have played a total of 111 regular season games. Historically speaking, the Jazz have the advantage. Utah has won 61 games against Cleveland, while the Cavaliers trail with 50 wins over Utah. Back in December of this season, the Jazz traveled to Cleveland for their first matchup of the year with the Cavs, but it did not end well for the Jazz. It was an emphatic win for the Cavaliers, blowing out Utah 122-99. This Tuesday, Utah will look to tie the season series 1-1 against Cleveland, with the Cavs traveling to their home stadium this time around.
Key To The Game: Can Utah’s Top Tier Offense Compete Against Cleveland’s Defense?
The Jazz are third in the league’s offensive rating, fourth in offensive efficiency, and third in points per game. Yet they are 12th in the West, 8 games behind the Conference leaders. Utah’s top-ranked offense has a tough test ahead of them on Tuesday against the Cavs. Cleveland is only allowing 106.6 points per game and are the top ranked defensive team in the league. Utah’s Lauri Markkanen will need to be at his best on Tuesday. Markkanen scored 24-points in Utah’s last meeting with Cleveland but the Jazz finished the game with just 99 total points. Nevertheless, Utah’s offense is cooking, averaging 120.5 points in their last 10 games.
Prediction
Although Utah’s offense has been phenomenal, their defense has been atrocious. Over their last 10 games, the Jazz have allowed 119.3 points to their opponents, one of the worst averages in the league. If the Utah offense isn’t hitting, the Jazz have no chance to win. Their defense can’t seem to stop anyone, and against Cleveland, Utah will find it difficult to find high-quality looks.
I like Cleveland in this one. Defense wins games and the Cavs are the best in that regard. Donovan Mitchell will enter this game fired-up against his old team and will be Cleveland’s top-performer. Cleveland will win the game and improve to 2-1 on their current five-game road trip. It will be Utah’s third straight loss, and the Jazz will fall to 20-24.
Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers Cover and the Under.
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