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The LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz matchup is one of eight games scheduled for NBA Saturday night. The two teams will meet for the second time this season, with Utah looking to avoid another embarrassing defeat. Let's look at the LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz game preview, prediction and betting tips.
LeBron James and Co. dominated the Jazz 131-99 on Nov. 21, 2023 in group play in the NBA In-Season Tournament. However, the Jazz are playing much better and have overtaken the Lakers in the Western Conference.
Saturday's game is the 198th regular-season meeting between the two franchises since Nov. 29, 1974. The Lakers have dominated the head-to-head matchup, 116-81 against the Jazz and won six of their last 10 games since Apr. 17, 2021.
LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz preview, prediction, odds and betting tips
The LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz is scheduled for Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game begins at 9:30 p.m. EST and will be televised on NBC Spectrum SportsNet in Los Angeles and KJZZ in Utah.
Moneyline: Lakers (-135) vs Jazz (+115)
Spread: Lakers -2 (-110) vs Jazz +2 (-110)
Total (O/U): Lakers -110 (o238) vs Jazz -110 (u238)
LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz preview
The Lakers are struggling for consistency after their two-game winning streak was snapped by the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers have dominated the Suns this season, but it was a different story on Thursday. They were no match for Phoenix, losing 127-109.
Meanwhile, the Jazz are one of the hottest teams in the NBA at the moment, riding a four-game winning streak. They have won eight of their last 10 games and have moved ahead of the Lakers in the Western Conference, with a 20-20 record.
LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz starting lineups
The LA Lakers have six players on their injury report, but only one is out, while the rest are either probable or questionable. Coach Darvin Ham will likely use a starting lineup of Austin Reaves, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Meanwhile, all players of the Utah Jazz are available to play the Lakers. Coach Will Hardy is expected to fetch a starting five comprising Kris Dunn, Collin Sexton, Simone Fontecchio, Lauri Markkanen and John Collins.
LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz betting tips
LeBron James has an over/under of 26.5 points, which is higher than his season average of 24.7 points per game.
James is favored to go under, as he has not scored more than 25 points in his last three games. It's safer to bet on him to score less than 26.5 points, but he might be due for a bounce-back game.
Anthony Davis is averaging 25.7 points per game, which is below his over/under of 27.5 points. He's favored to go over 27.5 and has scored 28 points or more in three of his last five contests. He's coming off a 13-point performance, so he could have a big game against Utah.
Lauri Markkanen is favored to go over 23.5 points. He's averaging 23.6 points per game this season and scored at least 24 points twice in his last four contests.
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LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz prediction
The LA Lakers are the slight favorites to beat the Utah Jazz, despite their inconsistencies and the Jazz's recent performances. The Lakers can turn it on when they want but will want to do it as soon as possible.
Oddsmakers are predicting the Lakers to get the win and cover the spread and the total to go under.
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