Los Angeles Clippers vs Utah Jazz Prediction 10-8-23 NBA Picks
The Utah Jazz and LA Clippers meet Sunday in NBA preseason action at the Stan Sheriff Center. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.
Utah Jazz Betting Preview
The Jazz are coming off a 37-win season and enter the second year under coach Will Hardy. The Jazz haven’t missed the playoffs in back to back years since 2015-16. There's a lot to like about the Jazz’ youngish core of Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen, but the addition of John Collins certainly speeds up the rebuild. The Jazz also brought in Baylor star and first round pick Keyonte George, and he should see the floor as a backup point guard. The Jazz are way ahead of a normal team that recently traded away their two stars, and I wouldn’t be shocked if this group snuck into the playoffs this season.
LA Clippers Betting Preview
The Clippers won 44 games last year and were bounced in the first round. The Clippers enter the fourth year under coach Tyronn Lue and hope to right some wrongs. Outside of losing Eric Gordon, the Clippers are pretty much the same team from a year ago, led by a trio of Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The addition of Kenyon Martin Jr. is nice depth, as he’s coming off a productive season with the Rockets. Rookie Kobe Brown is a versatile player who can do a lot of things well and has gotten better with his outside shot. Still, overall, the health of Kawhi and PG13 will determine if the Clippers are going to once again be a talented disappointment or a title contender. After decades of struggle and recent years of blown opportunities, the Clippers are due for something to finally go their way.
Trends
The Jazz are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 Sunday games and 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall. The over is 14-4-1 in Jazz last 19 overall. The over is 7-1-1 in Clippers last 9 overall. The Jazz are 1-6 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Los Angeles and 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
Randy’s Free Pick
The Clippers are the better team on paper, but they're also a veteran team that knows what they have to do. The Clippers also have injury prone players, so they're going to manage themselves in these games. The Jazz are younger and still eager to prove themselves, and these are spots where it starts to really build something. The Jazz are one of those teams that can do damage in the preseason. Give me the road dog.
