Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz Predictions, Odds, Picks

Dec. 15, 2021
Michael Crosson
VI Betting Expert
VegasInsider.com

Nationally televised NBA coverage will conclude on Wednesday night with a heavyweight Western Conference playoff rematch between the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz. Coverage begins from Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Score Prediction

Jazz 117, Clippers 104

Best Bets

Jazz -8 (-110) at WynnBet

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz Predictions

After winning the West with a record of 52-20 last year, Utah stumbled out to a surprisingly slow start to this season, as the Jazz kicked things off with a pedestrian 8-5 SU run – despite being favored in all 13 of those contests.

The Jazz have played excellent since their shaky start though, considering Utah enters Wednesday’s contest following wins in 11 of the last 13 games – with eight of those victories coming by a double-digit margin.

On the other hand, Los Angeles also posted an underwhelming start to the new season, as the Clippers opened the year with an even 11-11 SU split – despite being favored in 19 of those contests.

The Clippers have played surprisingly well since the start of December though, considering L. A. enters Wednesday’s contest following wins in five of the last six games – which includes tough victories over the Lakers, Suns, Blazers, and Celtics.

I’ll lay the points with Utah here, as the Jazz have won seven straight games, with four of those victories coming by a double-digit margin – and while L. A. has played undeniably well recently, the Clippers’ brief reign of success will likely end on Wednesday night.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz Betting Odds

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Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz Betting Resources

  • Matchup: Pacific vs. Northwest
  • Date: Wednesday, December 15, 2021
  • Venue: Vivint Arena
  • Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
  • TV-Time: ESPN - 10:00 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Clippers Betting Analysis

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

  • SU: 16-12
  • ATS: 13-15
  • O/U: 12-16

The betting majority lost faith in L. A. immediately following Kawhi Leonard’s devastating knee injury last postseason – but it turns out, the Clippers are still a solid team without him, as they decisively handled business against Utah for the remainder of that series, and then went toe-to-toe with Phoenix for the length of a competitive six-game conference final set.

The Clippers have looked like a shell of that team over the course of this season though, as L. A. currently ranks fifth in the West with a record of 15-12 SU – yet still trail all the top-tier squads in the conference by a considerable amount, with the Warriors (22-5), Suns (21-5), and Jazz (19-7) pacing the pack by a distant margin.

Utah Jazz Betting Analysis

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

  • SU: 19-7
  • ATS: 15-11
  • O/U: 13-12-1

Utah has been one of the league’s most consistent squads across the last few seasons, which can mainly be attributed to a very basic formula – great shooting and solid defense.

The Jazz currently lead the league in both overall FG% and EFG% (48.1% FG, 57.2% EFG), and when stellar shooting is combined with Utah’s fifth-ranked team defensive efficiency rating (1.031 DE) – consistently is rarely an issue.


The Jazz are 5-2 ATS across the last seven games as they face the Clippers tonight. (AP)

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz Head-to-Head

The Jazz won two-of-three regular-season matchups against L. A. last year, with the two contests belonging to Utah and staying under the total set for Wednesday’s affair at an average of 208 PPG – while the final event belonged to the Clippers and went over at a combined total of 228 PTS (116-112).

The most recent meeting between these teams took place during last year’s playoffs though, as the Clippers rallied back from an 0-2 deficit to eliminate Utah in a competitive six-game conference semi-final set.

Key Players to Watch

  • LAC: Reggie Jackson - PG (17.6 PPG, 3.5 REB, 4 AST)
  • LAC: Marcus Morris - SF (12.9 PPG, 4.5 REB, 2 AST)
  • UTA: Donovan Mitchell - SG (24.8 PPG, 3.8 REB, 5.2 AST)
  • UTA: Rudy Gobert - C (15.1 PPG, 14.6 REB, 2.2 BLK)

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz Betting Conclusion

After extending their winning streak to seven games on Saturday night, the Jazz enter Wednesday’s contest as moderate home favorites over the visiting Clippers – marking the third time L. A. has been an underdog across the last four games.

I’ll lay the points with the Jazz here, as despite L. A. winning five of its last six games, the Clippers still haven’t shot the ball well lately, averaging just 108.5 PPG across their current 6-1 run – which typically doesn’t even put a dent in the armor of Utah’s top-ranked offensive attack (115.3 PPG, 57.2% EFG).

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz Betting Trends

  • The Clippers are 4-2 ATS across the last four games.
  • The Jazz are 5-2 ATS across the last seven games.
  • The total has gone UNDER in four of the last five games.
  • The total has gone OVER in nine of the last 12 Jazz' games.