Philadelphia 76ers (23-11) vs Utah Jazz (16-20)
2024-01-06 19:30:00 EDT
The Line: Betting Odds: Philadelphia 76ers -11.5 -- Over/Under: 236
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The Utah Jazz and the Philadelphia 76ers duke it out at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night. Here’s a Jazz and 76ers prediction.
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have been in fine form as they’ve won six of their last eight games overall, but they will be hoping to bounce back in this one after having their three-game win streak halted by the Celtics in a 126-97 road defeat last night. Lauri Markkanen led the team with 17 points and five assists, Collin Sexton added 13 points while John Collins chipped in with 12 points and 11 rebounds. As a team, the Jazz shot just 36 percent from the field and a miserly six of 34 from the 3-point line as they struggled right from the start and just were always fighting an uphill battle after scoring just 15 points in the first quarter. In fact, the Jazz trailed by as many as 36 points in this one before the Celtics took their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter.
Utah Jazz Team Facts
- The Jazz have lost each of their last 25 road games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Jazz have covered the spread in each of their last six games as underdogs against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- Each of the Jazz’s last four games as underdogs have gone UNDER the total points line.
Philadelphia 76ers
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers have been in decent shape as they’ve won five of their last eight games overall, but they will be hoping to bounce back here after getting thrashed by the Knicks in a 128-92 loss last night. Joel Embiid led the team with 30 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, Tyrese Maxey added 27 points with nine assists while Kelly Oubre Jr chipped in with 15 points. As a team, the 76ers shot just 40 percent from the field and six of 23 from the 3-point line, but they let themselves in the second quarter where they allowed 41 points thanks to a barrage of 3-pointers from the Knicks’ Miles McBride. The 76ers made a bit of a run to cut the deficit to just 12 points, but then they went cold and scored just 16 points in the fourth quarter to suffer one of their worst defeats of the season.
Philadelphia 76ers Team Facts
- The 76ers have won each of their last nine games against Western Conference opponents that held a losing record.
- The 76ers have covered the spread in each of their last seven games as favorites against Western Conference opponents.
- Each of the 76ers’ last seven home games against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back have gone UNDER the total points line.
Jazz and 76ers prediction
The Jazz were playing some of their best basketball of the season before they got humbled by the Celtics in a massive defeat last night and you could say the same about the 76ers who just got thrashed by the Knicks in a tough loss. The 76ers are still missing a few players including Tobias Harris and De’Anthony Melton, so while I like the 76ers to get the win, I’m going to side with the Jazz to hang around long enough to get a backdoor cover.
