Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz

By Sam Batz

The Utah Jazz will host Western Conference rivals the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, April 4th (9:00 PM EST, NBA League Pass). The Lakers are 0-2 versus the Jazz this season and scored 116 points in both of their previous matchups. Utah is undefeated versus Los Angeles and averages 134.5 points against the Lakers. Despite their success over Los Angeles, the Jazz are 4 games behind the Lakers, and are the underdogs at +155 for Tuesday’s matchup. The Lakers are -4.5 point favorites and are expected to win with the Moneyline priced at -182. 

Los Angeles Lakers Breakdown

The LA Lakers are 40-38 (51.3%) and are currently the 7th seed in the West. The Lakers have 4 games left on their schedule and are just half a game behind the 6th seed Golden State Warriors and an automatic playoff bid. Los Angeles has an 87% chance to make it to the postseason, and after going 7-3 in their last 10 games, I can see why. The Lakers were 10-5 last month, and after a slow start to the season, have rocketed up the Western Conference standings to put themselves in playoff contention. The LA Lakers enter Tuesday’s matchup on a three-game winning streak, posting 120+ points in each win, and most notably, doing it on the road. 

Utah Jazz Breakdown

The Utah Jazz are 36-42 (46.2%) and are currently the 12th seed in the West. The Jazz are being given incredibly unlikely odds to make the playoffs (0.2% chance), but with 4 games left on the schedule, Utah has a chance to prove the experts wrong. The Jazz will need some help and their only real chance to make the playoffs is through the play-in tournament, but it’s not impossible. Utah is just 1.5 games behind the 10th seed OKC Thunder, and if OKC loses 2 of their final 3 games and Utah wins-out, the Jazz could make the play-in tourney, and thus have a shot at postseason glory. Unfortunately, Utah went 3-7 in their last 10, and have a difficult schedule ahead against quality opponents, meaning the odds of them winning-out are slim to none. 

Lakers vs. Jazz Odds

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Lakers vs. Jazz: Season Stats

Lakers vs. Jazz: Betting Trends

Lakers vs. Jazz Prediction

Take the Lakers to win the game (Moneyline -182). LA is surging as they make a final push for the playoffs. Ideally, the Lakers would like to avoid the play-in tournament, but anything is better than last year when they finished 11th in the West and missed out on all the fun. The LA Lakers are gaining momentum at the right time, averaging 120.4 points in their last 5 games, and allowing just 111.8 opponent points per contest. Led by the NBA’s newly appointed scoring champion, Lebron James, the Lakers are playing with confidence and could be a scary team to face in the postseason. 

The Utah Jazz made some big moves over the offseason but they haven’t seemed to pan out. The Jazz are essentially one loss away from being eliminated from playoff contention, and after dropping back-to-back games over the weekend, it’s not looking good for Utah. Lauri Markkanen leads the Jazz in points per game (25.6) and rebounds per game (8.6) but hasn’t gotten the help he needs teammates in recent weeks. Utah averaged 116.0 points per game in their last 10, but gave up 121.5 opponent points per game, resulting in a 5-9 record last month. Tuesday’s matchup with the Lakers is bound to be a high-scoring contest, and in a battle of offensive prowess, I’ll go with the Los Angeles Lakers over the Utah Jazz. 

Prediction: LA Lakers Moneyline (-182) and the Over (239)

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