2024-25 Utah Jazz Predictions and Odds to Win NBA Finals

by Spencer Toth - 10/16/2024

The Utah Jazz are in the midst of a rebuild and have very low expectations for the upcoming season. They have amassed 13 first round draft picks over the next five years, and their priority will be developing their young team in order to get ready for the future. Lauri Markkanen is capable of winning games for the Jazz. However, can he do enough to allow Utah to make a late playoff push?

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Utah Jazz Offseason Recap

The Jazz didn’t land any big names over the summer, but they did make some nice additions to their bench. A player like Patty Mills may not seem like an impactful arrival in Utah, but the Jazz need veteran players to help lead the next generation of Jazz talents. Mills is the perfect role model for a fresh crop of young guards and will be the perfect leader of the second unit this season. The tinkering of the Utah bench will certainly impact their season, but the biggest news of the summer for the Jazz was resigning Lauri Markkanen to a four-year extension.

Markkanen was expected to leave Utah in search of a spot on a more competitive roster. He is now 27 years old and in the prime of his career. There is no doubt Markkanen could work his way into a starting role on almost every NBA team, but he instead elected to spend at least another season with the Jazz. His 4-year, $196 million dollar contract makes him the 20th highest paid player by AAV, which is a pretty fair price for a player of Markkanen’s talent.

In the draft, Utah was overjoyed with their tenth overall selection of Cody Williams. Williams still needs to bulk up before he is ready for consistent minutes in the NBA. However, he is expected to start the season on the bench and will be getting meaningful minutes this year. Williams has the perfect build for the modern-day NBA, as he is an athletic, lengthy guard. He can make life difficult on the defensive end by being able to effectively guard every position on the court. His shooting comes with question marks, as he shot just 71% from the free throw line last season. Williams is a fantastic pickup and is one of the few rookies who can make an instant impact on an NBA roster.

Utah Jazz Season Expectations

The season expectations are limited for the Jazz. Their win total is sitting at just 27.5 victories this season, as they are expected to lose many more games than they win. Markkanen will be the leader of the team, as his 23.2 PPG led the team last season. While Markkanen is the most impactful player on offense, he is mostly a one trick pony who averaged only 2 assists per game last season. Playmaker Collin Sexton will have a much larger role to play, as he is responsible for moving the ball around the horn on offense.

Utah struggles on the offensive end, but it is their defense that usually ends up costing them victories. They were dead last in defensive efficiency last season and didn’t make too many changes to fix the problem. Walker Kessler does a good job at protecting the rim, but the Jazz’s hands aren’t active enough in breaking up passing lanes. Their lackluster defensive efforts are just one of many reasons why the Jazz will struggle this year.

Utah Jazz Schedule Breakdown

The Jazz open up the season with four of their first five games at home. Even though they are at home, they will still be underdogs when they take on the Grizzlies, Warriors, Mavericks, Kings, and Spurs in the opening weeks of the season. Utah finds themselves in a very competitive Western Conference, and there won’t be many easy wins to go around. The Jazz’s longest road trip is over the holiday period as they are on the road from December 3rd all the way until the 26th.

Utah Jazz Odds

The Jazz will not be competing for an NBA championship this season, and it would frankly be a miracle if they are even in play-in tournament contention at the All-Star break. Utah has a win total of 27.5 wins and are an incredible +1700 to even qualify for the postseason. They lack the roster to stay in contention, and their win total could be based on how hard they plan on tanking this season. If they keep all their starters healthy and prioritize winning games, Utah could flirt with a .500 record. But if they see the season is going nowhere and start prioritizing youth over results, it will be an even longer season for the Jazz fans. The NBA Cup is unlikely to yield any positive results, as the Jazz are +2500 to finish on top of a group featuring the Lakers, Suns, Thunder, and Spurs.

2024-25 Utah Jazz Season Predictions and Best Bets

There isn’t much to get excited for this season in Utah, but I do think they will be slightly better than the bookies give them credit for. Utah will finish the season with a 31-51 record. They will still be well outside the playoff spots, but they have the talent needed to pick up a few wins here and there. Markkanen has committed his future to the Jazz, and they could be competing for a play-in tournament spot sooner rather than later. There is no reason to touch any of the NBA Cup or playoff futures, as while they have long odds the Jazz are still too far back to consider a dart throw.

Top Pick: Utah Jazz Over 26.5 Wins -110

Pick Utah Jazz 30+ Regular Season Wins +125

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Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 2:30 PM
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2024-25 Utah Jazz Predictions and Odds to Win NBA Finals

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