Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers: Prediction and Betting Tips | Dec. 14, 2023

The Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers will clash in a Northwest Division showdown on Thursday, Dec. 14, in Oregon. It will mark the fourth and last time that the two teams will battle in the regular season this NBA year. The Jazz lead their head-to-head matchup so far, 2-1.

Utah is coming into the road game off a 117-113 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday. Collin Sexton led the way for the Jazz in the win, top-scoring with 26 points to go along with seven assists. Lauri Markkanen added 23 points while Simone Fontecchio and Talen Horton-Tucker had 15 points each.

The win ended a three-game slide for the team and they will want to build on their last win moving forward.

The Blazers, meanwhile, are currently in the midst of a four-game losing streak and want to wiggle out of their funk at home.

The most recent of their defeat came on Monday at the hands of the LA Clippers, 132-127. Come-backing Anfernee Simons had 38 points but it was not enough to lead Portland to the win.

Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers: Preview, betting tips and prediction

Game details

Teams: Utah Jazz (8-16) vs Portland Trail Blazers (6-16)

Date and Time: Dec. 14, 2023 I 10:00 p.m. ET

Venue: Moda Center I Portland, Oregon

Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers: Game preview

The Jazz have not so far found the stability needed to consistently win games. Earlier in their campaign they strung up four straight losses on two separate occasions. In their last seven games, the team has gone 2-5.

Injuries, particularly to key cogs Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson, have stymied the ability of the Jazz to soar collectively.

The rebuilding Blazers, for their part, are still in the process of figuring things out on how to make the pieces work cohesively. Unfortunately for them, at this point, it has resulted in more misses than hits.

But help for them has come with the return of Simons, who missed 18 of their first 22 games this season because of injury (thumb). In three games since his return, the explosive guard has been averaging 32 points and 5.3 assists.

Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers: Predicted starting lineups

Markkanen is ruled questionable while Clarkson is out for the game against Portland, leaving the Jazz with a possible starting crew of Sexton, Horton-Tucker, John Collins, Kelly Olynyk and Fontecchio.

Over at Portland, DeAndre Ayton is questionable while Jerami Grant is expected to be out. Malcolm Brogdon, meanwhile, is day-to-day.

Given this, the Blazers should go with the starting lineup of Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle, Duop Reath and Toumani Camara.

Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers: Betting tips

With Markkanen questionable, Collins and Sexton are expected to pick up the scoring slack for the Jazz.

Collins has an over/under points prop of 14.5 points. Bettors can get 1.80 for over while for under it is 1.95.

Sexton, meanwhile, has a O/U prop of 11.5 points, with 1.83 for over and 1.91 for under.

Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers: Predictions

The moneyline for the Jazz is +124 while for the Blazers it is -148. Portland comes into the game as a -3 underdog against Utah.

With both teams undermanned, it is going to be a close match but in the end the Jazz should take the win on the strength that collectively they are the more intact team and have played together for a longer period of time.

A concern for them, however, is they will be playing the second of a back-to-back against a well-rested squad playing at home.