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

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

Nationally televised NBA action will conclude on Wednesday night with a compelling Western Conference showdown between the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers. Coverage begins from Crypto.com Arena 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

SCORE PREDICTION

Jazz 117, Lakers 108

BEST BETS

Jazz -4.5 (-110) at WynnBet

UTAH JAZZ VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS PREDICTIONS

After earning the top spot in the West with a record of 52-20 SU last year, Utah kept that same ball rolling with another triumphant to start the season, as the Jazz kicked things off with an imposing 28-10 SU and 19-18-1 ATS run – with 20 of those SU victories coming by 10+ PTS.

Utah has been on quite the rollercoaster since New Year’s Day though, considering the Jazz went just 4-12 SU and 4-11-1 ATS across the month of January – which they followed up with a 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS run to kick off February.

On the other hand, Los Angeles posted a disappointing start to the year, as the Lakers kicked things off with a lackluster 10-11 SU and 7-14 ATS skid – which was primarily attributed to growing pains associated with the groundbreaking acquisition of Russell Westbrook.

The Lakers have sustained a similarly deficient pace since that point though, considering L. A. is just 15-20 SU and 17-18 ATS across their latest 35-game stretch – despite getting tagged as favorites in 22 of those matchups.

I’ll back Utah here, as the Jazz are 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS since the onset of February, while generating 117.7 OPPG during that timeframe – likely presenting a steep uphill battle for a Lakers squad that’s averaging just 107.9 OPPG across their latest 5-10 SU skid.

UTAH JAZZ VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING ODDS

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UTAH JAZZ VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING RESOURCES

• Matchup: Northwest vs. Pacific
• Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2022
• Venue: Crypto.com Arena
• Location: Los Angeles, California
• TV-Time: ESPN - 10:00 p.m. ET
• Injury Report

UTAH JAZZ BETTING ANALYSIS

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

• SU: 36-21
• ATS: 26-29-2
• O/U: 27-29-1

Utah has been one of the most consistent squads in the West across the last few regular seasons, which is no coincidence, considering the Jazz wield a very well-balanced attack – currently pacing the league in offensive efficiency by a healthy margin (1.128 OE), while also ranking ninth in defensive efficiency (1.058 DE).

Utah’s consistency quickly fades without the combined presence of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert though, considering the Jazz’ top-ranked offensive attack has averaged just 109.9 OPPG across their latest 8-11 SU stretch – with nine of those SU losses coming in the absence of Mitchell or Gobert.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING ANALYSIS

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

• SU: 26-31
• ATS: 25-32
• O/U: 32-24-1

Hovering below .500 is unquestionably a disappointment for the Lakers regardless of the circumstances, but to be fair, they’ve been banged up from the start, so it’s tough to write them off completely, considering LeBron James has already missed 17 games this season – while Anthony Davis has missed 21.

Despite their shortcomings, the Lakers rank ninth in the West with a record of 26-31 SU, making them the caboose of a tight cluster containing the Nuggets (32-25), Timberwolves (30-27), and Clippers (29-30). There’s still plenty of time for the Lakers to turn things around and push for higher seeding; they just need to get healthy first, and ultimately, shoot the ball better, considering L. A. ranks 23rd in offensive efficiency and 10th in scoring (1.058 OE, 111 OPPG) – which doesn’t bode well for a squad that also ranks 16th in defensive efficiency (1.073 DE).

UTAH JAZZ VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Jazz won two-of-three regular-season matchups against the Lakers last year, with both of Utah’s victories staying under the total at an average of 205.5 PPG – while L. A.’s lone win soared over the number at a score of 127-115. The most recent meeting between these teams took place back in January of this season though, which resulted in another low-scoring victory for the Lakers (101-95).

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

• UTA: Donovan Mitchell - SG (25.5 PPG, 4.2 REB, 5.2 AST)
• UTA: Rudy Gobert - C (15.9 PPG, 14.9 REB, 2.2 BLK)
• LAL: LeBron James - SF (29 PPG, 7.9 REB, 6.5 AST)
• LAL: Anthony Davis - PF (23.3 PPG, 9.9 REB, 2.3 BLK)

UTAH JAZZ VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING CONCLUSION

After posting back-to-back road losses against the Blazers and Warriors, the Lakers return home for Wednesday’s contest as moderate underdogs against the Jazz at Crypto.com Arena – marking the seventh time L. A. has been an underdog across their last ten games.

I’ll back Utah here, as the Lakers are 5-10 SU in their last 15 games, while averaging just 107.9 OPPG across that window – setting the stage for another unfavorable matchup against a Jazz squad that’s scored 111+ PTS in five straight contests (119.6 OPPG).

UTAH JAZZ VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING TRENDS

• The Jazz are 5-0 ATS in their last five games.
• The Lakers are 4-2 ATS in their last six games.
• The Jazz are 2-7 ATS in their last nine matchups against the Lakers.
• The total has gone UNDER in five of the last six Jazz' games.
• The Lakers are 7-3 SU in their last ten home games.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson