Utah Jazz vs. Philadelphia 76ers Predictions, Odds, Picks

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

Dec. 8, 2021

Eytan Shander
VI Betting Expert
VegasInsider.com

A couple of win streaks are on the line as the Sixers look for their fifth straight win Thursday night, and the Jazz look for win number six in a row. The two teams will tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET in South Philadelphia on NBATV.

Score Prediction

Jazz 118, 76ers 116

Best Bets

76ers +3.5 (-110) at FanDuel

Utah Jazz vs. Philadelphia 76ers Predictions

The Sixers are simply healthy right now. They had longer stretches without Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and more. But now that they are all healthy – minus Ben Simmons – the push back to playoff relevance has begun. The good news for the Sixers is they face a red hot Jazz team in Philly. The bad news is that it comes on the second leg of a back-to-back night.

Embiid is still coming back from COVID and even said earlier in the week that he isn’t fully returned from a conditioning standpoint. While we all expect to see Embiid, his minutes may be curbed as a result of the second game in as many nights.

Rudy Gobert’s job is to throw everything possible at Embiid and hope Donovan Mitchell can outscore the remaining Sixers. The Jazz are a difficult matchup for the Sixers – especially the height on Mitchell. Not having a taller defender who can move like Simmons really hurts the Sixers in this game.

Mitchell should be able to penetrate and set-up teammates off a big scoring night, he’s hit 30+ points in four straight games. This game may come down to supporting-cast starters, like Mike Conley’s production versus Seth Curry. Philadelphia will be busy using bothTyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle as defensive means to slow down Mitchell, but it ultimately won’t work.

Everything in Philadelphia revolves around the health of Embiid. They simply can’t compete without him but are one of the league’s best with him. In this recent stretch since he came back, and the team won four straight, Embiid has been all over the floor. Their most recent win on Wednesday against Charlotte showed how well everyone around Embiid benefits from his presence.

Curry – and Danny Green whenever he’s healthy – seem to benefit exponentially from the spacing provided by Embiid. It hasn’t been easy for Philadelphia but having Embiid is the difference between an OT win on Monday and being blown out of the building. Utah has all its components and has no problem broadcasting the plan to the world – get Mitchell the ball!

The scoring streak is one thing, but the Jazz are cruising past opponents like Mitchell hitting 30+ completely crumbles opposing team defenses. Gobert has played efficient as well and has his toughest matchup in the game coming up in Embiid. Maybe the biggest boost for the Jazz this year is the improved shooting from Conley, especially from beyond the arc.

Utah Jazz vs. Philadelphia 76ers Betting Odds

More Odds | Futures Odds

Utah Jazz vs. Philadelphia 76ers Betting Resources

Matchup: Northwest vs. Atlantic
Date: Thursday, December 9, 2021
Venue: Wells Fargo Center
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TV-Time: NBATV - 7:00 p.m. ET

Injury Report

Utah Jazz Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

SU: 17-7
ATS: 13-11
O/U: 13-11

Mitchell leads the way at 24.7 PPG, adding 5 APG and 4.1 RPG. Bojan Bogdanovic is the team’s second-leading scorer with 17 PPG, he also adds 4 RPG. Jordan Clarkson is struggling his way to 14.9 PPG off just 37 percent shooting. Gobert averages 14.8 PPG and nearly the same RPG at 14.5 a night. Conley is at 14 PPG and 5.4 APG. Rudy Gay is the last Jazz player to average 10+ points.

Philadelphia 76ers Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

SU: 14-11
ATS: 12-13
O/U: 9-15-1

Embiid averages 24.5 PPG, 11.1 RPG, and 4.3 APG. He’s shotting 44 percent from the floor. Harris adds 19.3 PPG and 8.3 RPG. He’s also averaging 3.5 APG and shooting 47percent. Maxey drops 16.8 PPG while dishing out 4.8 APG, he’s also shooting just under 47 percent.

Curry is at 16 PPG off 50.6 percent shooting. Shake Milton and Georges Niang are each around 11 PPG, the final two Sixers players averaging double figures.

Utah has gone OVER the point total in nine of its last 10 games. (AP)

Utah Jazz vs. Philadelphia 76ers Head-to-Head

This is the second matchup between the two teams, as the Jazz dominated the first game 120- 85 back in Utah. The loss handed the Sixers their fifth straight at the time – as they were still dealing with multiple injuries to starters.

Key Players to Watch

UTA: Donovan Mitchell - G (24.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5 apg)
UTA: Rudy Gobert - C (14.8 ppg, 14.5 rpg)
PHI: Joel Embiid - C (24.5 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 4.3 apg)
PHI: Tobias Harris - F (19.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg)

Utah Jazz vs. Philadelphia 76ers Betting Conclusion

The Sixers are 0-5 last 5 ATS at home, but they are finally healthy. The line efficiently factors in the health of Philadelphia, but also the continued absence of Ben Simmons. This is a game where not having him on the defensive side will hurt the Sixers.

But as we’ve seen, they just need to be in games in the fourth to have a shot with Embiid – who won’t be neutralized by Gobert. The Sixers are a tough out at home despite their recent record ATS and may have a lot of people backing the Jazz. Utah wins, but it’s too tight to cover.