Utah Jazz vs LA Lakers: Reeling Jazz take on even more struggling Lakers

NBA is heading into the Playoffs territory and many teams have picked up their game while others have fallen off. This happens during multiple points in the season and it is clear that by the end of the season, we will see even more up-and-down movement in the NBA rankings system. As the Postseason closes in, the time is urgent for squads that want to make a deep push. And in this game, the Utah Jazz will host the Los Angeles Lakers.

Utah’s tough period

The Utah Jazz is on a five-game losing streak and blew a 25-points lead versus the Clippers, which has to be the lowlight of the season for the team. The team’s defense is not the same as it was in the first half of the season and the long season has surely taken a toll on Donovan Mitchell’s Utah Jazz. As a result, the team has fallen to the sixth position and although the Mavericks are not a surefire to finish at the third rank, they will not want to face a revved-up Mavericks team.

Still, the team can make some ground considering that Bojan Bogdanovic has returned from an injury, however, he is a Game-Time Decision and when he has been out, the Jazz offense has looked pale. Donovan continues to have big nights but the overall scoring balance has been suffering. The upcoming stretch is not easy considering the team has to go up against the Warriors(Although they have fallen off) and the two best teams in the league in the form of the Suns and Grizzlies. Can Jazz become an elite team again?

Lakers’ collapse only gets worse

The Lakers are on a three-game losing streak and what else is new! Since the second week of January, the squad has lost 25 out of the last 35 games, not even winning 30% of their games since that period. The injury to LeBron James has only worsened things as, without him, the team has ended up losing more than 80% of their games. Anthony Davis has also missed a bunch of weeks and he is a Game-Time Decision. At this point, the Lakers are in danger of not even making the Play-in tournament.

Russell Westbrook has played much better than last month, dropping 20+ while Malik Monk has been getting it done too, clasping 20 points or so regularly. Carmelo Anthony’s production has been down which has also caused the fluctuations in the offensive production. Lakers’ defense remains one of the worst in the league and they also concede a ton of offensive rebounds. It is difficult to see the Lakers making the Postseason at this point unless they go on a big winning streak, something that has been out of their grasp.

• Jazz: Bojan Bogdanovic and Danuel House Jr. are a “Game-Time Decision”. Hassan Whiteside, Trent Forrest, and Udoka Azubuike are OUT for the game;
• Lakers: Anthony Davis is a “Game-Time Decision” and Wenyen Gabriel is also a “Game-Time Decision”. LeBron James and Kendrick Nunn are OUT.

Considering these players are available, below are my player-based props predictions:

• I believe Russell Westbrook will punch at least 21 points;
• I see Rudy Gobert clasping at least 13 rebounds;
• I believe Malik Monk will be held below 20 points;
• I see Donovan Mitchell scoring at least 32 points.

Points Range: Both teams are struggling on both ends of the floor these days and the Lakers’ effort can be defined by the presence of Anthony Davis. Having Anthony Davis does improve scoring, rebounding, and defense, but the Lakers have suffered tough losses even when he has been active and especially when LeBron has not been playing alongside him. Playing at home and desperate to break a five-game losing streak after blowing a 25-point lead can make for a more cohesive and focused effort for the Jazz on the offensive end. On the other hand, the Lakers' confidence has only fallen with each day. I do see both teams coming strong on the offensive end, and I believe the total points range here is 230-240.

Prediction: Two teams that have not been able to figure it out these days mean a tough betting scenario. However, playing at home will give the Jazz more confidence going up against a Lakers team that has been awful away from home. Davis’ availability is huge for the Lakers, a team that doesn’t have a strong frontline. But I think even if Davis plays, the Jazz will extract a 122:110 win here.

• Total 2 Over 105.5 for 1.90;
• Player Props: Player Points: Donovan Mitchell Over 25.5 for 1.86;
• Total Over 224.5 for 1.90.