Utah Jazz at Portland Blazers NBA Picks & Predictions 12/21/2018

Friday, December 21, 2018

Moda Center

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The Utah Jazz travel to Moda Center to play the Portland Blazers on Friday, December 21, 2018. The opening line for this matchup has Portland as 3 point favorites.

The Jazz head into this matchup with a mark of 15-17. They are 4th in the Northwest Division. They have a point differential of 0.1 as they average 106.5 points per contest while giving up 106.4 per game. The Blazers have an overall mark of 18-13. They currently are 3rd in the Northwest Division. They total 111.8 points per contest and give up 110.2, which is a point differential of 1.6.

Valuable Utah Jazz Betting Trends

The Utah Jazz are 14-16-1 against the spread

The Utah Jazz are 17-14-0 against the over/under

Important Portland Blazers Betting Trends

The Portland Blazers are 15-15-0 against the spread

The Portland Blazers are 16-14-0 against the over/under

Key Utah Jazz Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Portland Blazers Injuries

No key injuries to report

Player Spotlight

Ricky Rubio averages 12.5 points per game in 29.8 minutes per contest. He averages 6.1 assists per contest and 3.6 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage is 39% for the year while his free throw percentage is 85%. Donovan Mitchell comes into this contest averaging 20.9 points per game while playing 32.4 minutes per night. He pulls down 3.2 rebounds per game and dishes out 3.3 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 41% while his free throw percentage is at 81%.

Player Spotlight

Damian Lillard averages 27.2 points per game and he sees the court an average of 35.2 minutes per contest. He also averages 5.0 rebounds per contest and 6.0 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 45% and his free throw percentage is 89%. CJ McCollum averages 21.5 points per game while playing 34.2 minutes per contest. He grabs 3.8 rebounds per game and has 2.5 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 47% and his free throw percentage is at 83%.

Useful Team Statistics

The Jazz allow 106.4 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 6th in the league. They also allow a 47% shooting percentage and a 36% average from behind the arc, ranking them 20th and 18th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 42.3 rebounds a game which ranks 3rd, and they give up 21.3 assists per contest which puts them in 1st place in the league. They force 15.1 turnovers per game which ranks them 24th in the league. Utah averages 106.5 points per contest this season, which ranks them 24th in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is 0.1 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team, which has them ranked 14th. Behind the arc they shoot 34% which is good for 25th in the league. They average 43.7 rebounds per game and 24.4 assists per contest, which ranks them 23rd and 14th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 4th with 15.5 per game.

Useful Team Statistics

The Blazers surrender 110.2 points per contest, which ranks them 14th in the NBA. Their defense allows a 46% shooting percentage and a 37% average from 3-point range, ranking them 14th and 29th in those defensive statistics. They rank 12th with 23.6 assists allowed per contest, and 8th with 43.5 rebounds surrendered per game. The Blazers are 2nd in the NBA in forcing turnovers with 11.9 per game. Portland is 12th in the league with 111.8 points per game this year. They are 13th in the league in shooting at 46%, while their average scoring margin is 1.7. They shoot 36% from 3-point range, which is good for 7th in the NBA. They are 3rd in the league in rebounding with 48.1 boards per game and 28th in assists per contest with 21.0. The Blazers are 13th in turnovers per game with 14.5.

Advanced Statistics

The Jazz are 25th in the league in defensive rating with 106.9, and their offensive rating of 107 is ranked 8th. They are 16th in the NBA in pace with 99.5 possessions per 48 minutes, and their eFG% of 52% is 16th. As a unit they are 16th in the league in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 38% of their shot attempts, ranking 7th in the NBA. Utah is 3rd in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 14 times per 100 possessions while forcing 13.6 on defense. Their defensive eFG% for the year currently is 52%, which is 15th in the NBA.

Advanced Statistics

Portland is 13th in the NBA in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 12.7 times per 100 possessions while forcing 10.7 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 52%, which is 17th in the league. The Blazers are 8th in the NBA in offensive rating with 112.7, and their defensive rating of 111 is ranked 17th. In terms of pace they are 22nd in the league with 98.9 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 52% is 17th. As a team they are 10th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 34% of their shots, ranking 18th in the league.

Who will win tonight's Jazz/Blazers NBA game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take Utah +3

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