Golden State Warriors vs Utah Jazz: Prediction, Starting Lineups, Odds (12/7/22)

The Golden State Warriors visit the Utah Jazz after being stunned by the Indiana Pacers at home. The Utah Jazz are also coming off a very close loss to the Portland Trailblazers. This should be an interesting matchup because both teams will want to rebound after losses. You can look at the starting lineups and injuries for each team below. Let’s take a look at the odds and make some picks and predictions for this game!

Golden State Warriors vs. Utah Jazz Betting Odds

The Golden State Warriors are a 2-point road favorite against the Utah Jazz and are at -130 on the money line. There is also no over/under listed just yet. The Warriors being favored here makes sense because while the Jazz started the season hot, they’ve cooled down a bit ever since. The Warriors have also been inconsistent, but they have more talent as a team, which is why they are the slight favorite here on the road. There’s no total listed at the time of this preview, but expect it to be high because both of these teams can score very easily.

Golden State Warriors vs. Utah Jazz Prediction

The pick: Warriors -2

The Warriors have been far from perfect this season, considering they’re the defending champions. The standout has easily been Steph Curry, who’s been putting up MVP-like numbers this year. Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole have also stepped up a ton this year after being key contributors last year on the championship run they had as a team. Klay Thompson has also been very good recently, after starting the year slow. The same can be said with Draymond Green, but he’s still struggled in spurts to be as consistent as he usually is and impacting the game in all sorts of ways. The offense overall has been clicking on all cylinders this year and is averaging 117 points a game. The issues for the Warriors have been on the defensive side of the court.

They allow 116 points a game so far this year. That defense is going to struggle against the Jazz. The Jazz are even better offensively than the Warriors this year and are lead by Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson as their top two scorers. The Jazz score 118 points a game and allow 116 points a game. This team has been one of the bigger surprises in the NBA this year because so many people thought they were going to be one of the worst teams in the NBA. The Warriors are the slightly better play here even with the news of a few starters being out. Expect a fun high-scoring game in Utah where the Warriors pull it out late.

Betting Trends

Warriors are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up loss.

Jazz are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

Key Matchups

Can Mike Conley get any type of advantage against Steph Curry? Can Draymond Green slow down Lauri Markkanen?

Jordan Poole vs. Mike Conley

Mike Conley’s been a very good NBA point guard throughout his career, whether it was with Memphis where he started his career and now the Jazz. The best description for him is that he’s been very dependable throughout his time in the league. Jordan Poole is taking the reins at point guard for the Warriors in this game, and he’s proven to be a very good player for the Warriors. Poole has been a very good offensive player during his time in the NBA, but one thing Conley can do to cause issues for him is be physical, so it’ll be interesting to see this matchup shakeout.

Jonathan Kuminga vs. Lauri Markkanen

Jonathan Kuminga has been okay at best this year off the bench for the Warriors, while Lauri Markkanen’s been having a breakout year. Kuminga is known for being a defensive stopper even if he’s under-sized for a power forward. He’s also starting here in place of Draymond Green. Markkanen is a 6’11” power forward, so the size difference is huge here. The key here will be if Kuminga can play defense enough against Markkanen due to that size difference. He’s averaging 22 points points a game this year on 53% shooting. Kuminga averages less than 1 steal and block a game on defense, while also averaging 3 rebounds a game. This matchup will be a huge in determining who wins this game.

Golden State Warriors Starting Lineup

PG: Jordan Poole
SG: Klay Thompson
SF: Anthony Lamb
PF: Jonathan Kuminga
C: Kevon Looney

Utah Jazz Starting Lineups

PG: Collin Sexton
SG: Jordan Clarkson
SF: Jarred Vanderbilt
PF: Lauri Markkanen
C: Kelly Olynyk

Key Injuries

Golden State Warriors Injuries: SG Jordan Poole (Ankle) Q, SF Andrew Wiggins (Adductor) O

Utah Jazz Injuries: PG Mike Conley (Knee) O, SF Rudy Gay (Finger) O