Toronto Raptors vs. Utah Jazz Odds, Preview, and Prediction
Raptors vs. Jazz Odds
| Raptors Odds | +10.5 |
| Jazz Odds | -10.5 |
| Over/Under | 214.5 |
| Date | Thursday, Nov. 18 |
| Time | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ATRM |
On Thursday evening, the Toronto Raptors and the Utah Jazz will battle at the Vivint Arena. The Raptors enter play having lost five of their last six contests—though their current rough stretch was preceded by a string of five consecutive victories. The Jazz have lost four of their last six games, but appeared to get back on track with a 35 point victory in their Tuesday evening matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. Oddsmakers anticipate a relatively easy win for Utah in this affair, pricing the Jazz as 10.5-point home favorites on the spread.
Let’s take a closer look at Raptors vs. Jazz odds and NBA betting tips for this late-night matchup.
Toronto Raptors (+10.5)
Though we are still early in the season, and thus dealing with a relatively small sample size—the Raptors have been a significantly better team on the road than they have been at home. Toronto has five wins in seven trips to the United States this year, having defeated the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, and Philadelphia 76ers away from home. Yet, it is worth noting that Boston was fresh off of a double-overtime affair, and the 76ers were missing Joel Embiid.
Overall this season, Toronto ranks 12th in the NBA with a Net Rating of 0.6. Led by a combination of OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, and Gary Trent Jr., the Raptors rank 12th in offensive efficiency. The main issue for this group has been a lack of effort on the defensive end of the floor, where they are allowing 108.8 points per 100 possessions for the season, and a dreadful 115.2 points per 100 possessions over their last eight games.
It is unfair to blame recent struggles on one player, but the Raptors are winless with Siakam in the lineup this year. When Siakam is on the floor, Toronto is averaging a healthy 118.8 points per 100 possessions, yet the team’s overall defensive numbers plummet. Against a dangerous Utah offense, Siakam’s presence could be an issue. The defensive effort could be hurt further in this one if Anunoby is unable to suit up. He is currently listed as doubtful.
Utah Jazz (-8.5)
Utah erupted for 120 points on Tuesday against Philadelphia in a convincing win. Similar to the Embiid-less 76ers, Toronto struggles mightily to defend the perimeter. On the season, the Raptors rank 24th, allowing their opponents to shoot 37.9 percent from deep. This number has grown even worse since returning Siakam to the lineup. It is possible that the absence of Anunoby makes it even more difficult for this team to close-out on shooters on the wing.
Defending the three-point line is a tremendous problem for teams when they play Utah because the Jazz shoot the third-most three-pointers in the NBA. Giving Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley, and Joe Ingles open looks on a consistent basis is not a recipe for a low-scoring affair.
The Jazz have the best offensive efficiency in the entire league this season, scoring 113.0 points per 100 possessions. Even during their recent struggles, Utah ranks sixth in offensive efficiency over their previous six games. Toronto is likely to struggle to slow down this talented group of shooters this evening.
Raptors vs. Jazz Picks
Though bettors are unquestionably going to be drawn to the Thursday Night Football matchup between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, there is an opportunity to earn some profit by focusing on the less sexy games on the slate this evening—with Toronto against Utah being a prime example. The return of Siakam has improved Toronto’s offense, while simultaneously making this group one of the worst defensive units in the entire league. Bettors should expect plenty of points in this contest in what is likely to be a very-high scoring game.
PICK: Over 214.5 (-110)
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