Raptors vs Jazz Picks, Predictions & Odds Tonight

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12 January 2024

Raptors vs Jazz Picks, Predictions & Odds Tonight

There are no moral victories but the Raptors have to be pleased with how the offense has come around since the Anunoby trade. Our NBA betting picks believe the Raps offense can continue its scoring ways and exceed its team total. Find out why below.

The Toronto Raptors will close out a lengthy six-game road trip when they visit the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

While the Jazz haven’t been hitting all the right notes the last few seasons, they have played a different tune when facing the Raptors, winning six of the last seven meetings straight up, which includes a humiliating fourth-quarter collapse by the Raps when they last met in Toronto on Dec. 23.

This time around the NBA odds have the Raptors as slight road underdogs following back-to-back losses in Los Angeles to the Lakers and Clippers. Meanwhile, the Jazz enter this matchup playing well, having won six of seven overall against some impressive opponents.

Toronto has played well since its roster makeover, but will it be able to keep up with an improving Utah squad? I break down this matchup and bring you the best bet in my NBA picks and predictions for Raptors vs. Jazz on Friday, January 12.

Raptors vs Jazz odds

Raptors vs Jazz predictions

The Toronto Raptors have clearly been a much different (and better) team since making the trade for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, and they would love nothing more than to close out this lengthy road trip with a win. A victory would mean they went a respectable 3-3. But that will be easier said than done against a surging Utah Jazz team.

The Jazz have won nine of their last 11 games with the last three coming against the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Philadelphia 76ers. Not too shabby. They also rank fifth in net rating over that span.

Part of the improvement is because Utah has played better at the defensive end of the floor, but overall they still have some work to do. The Jazz still ranks 22nd in defensive rating and 20th in opponent-effective field goal percentage but where they struggle is on the perimeter. The Jazz allow the fourth most made 3-pointers per game this season (14.1) and rank 19th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage. And that could play into the hands of this new Raptors offense.

With Barrett and Quickley on the floor with Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam, this Raptors team has become much more dynamic when it comes to getting buckets. In the six games since the trade, Toronto ranks fourth in offensive rating putting up 125.7 points per game over that span. They also rank fourth in 3-point shooting percentage hitting 41.9% of their attempts in that period.

On top of that, the Raptors should be motivated to play well. They have arguably played better than their 2-3 record on this road trip would indicate and probably feel like they deserve at least one more win. A victory on Friday night would mean they went .500 and you could call that a win.

Toronto has scored at least 120 points in five of the six games since their mini-roster makeover. The Raptors match up well with the Jazz and should do some scoring in Salt Lake City tonight. I’m backing them to get some buckets and go Over their team total.

My best bet: Raptors Team Total Over 120.5 (-115 at PointsBet)

Raptors vs Jazz same-game parlay

Raptors team total Over 120.5Immanuel Quickley 3+ made threes

John Collins Over 6.5 rebounds

As per usual, our same-game parlay tips off with my best bet which for this NBA matchup is the Raptors to go Over their team total of 120.5. And one of the reasons I believe they can eclipse this number is because they now have Immanuel Quickley.

It looks like Quickley will have every chance to flourish with his new team and the early returns have been promising. The new Raptors starting guard is averaging 19.2 points per game, shooting 46.2% from 3-point range while adding 6.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game in his first six games with his new team. With the Jazz’s issues on the perimeter, I’m adding him to hit 3+ threes in this matchup.

Let’s close this SGP with a rebounding player prop for the Jazz. The Raptors could be at a bit of a disadvantage here with starting center Jakob Poeltl still sidelined. John Collins has seen his rebounding numbers dip a bit lately, but he’s still averaging 7.6 boards per game this season and his prop is sitting at 6.5. Let’s take the Over.

Looking to bet on some Raptors action? Join PointsBet, one of Canada’s favourite books for new bettors!

Raptors vs Jazz spread and Over/Under analysis

The Raptors opened this matchup as 3-point road underdogs, but they have seen the early action with the line moving down to Toronto +2. These two teams last met on Dec. 23rd in a game where the Raptors closed as 5.5-point home favorites.

The Jazz won that matchup 126-119 in a game that featured an epic fourth-quarter Raptors collapse. Toronto led the game 99-85 heading into the fourth but were outscored 41-21 in the final frame. But a lot has changed since that debacle. Namely, the trade that brought in Barrett and Quickley.

I can make the argument that the Raptors are a better team than they were then yet this line has swung 7.5 points in favor of the Jazz just a few weeks later. I think there is probably some value on Toronto tonight. But you can’t discount how well Utah has played so no official play for me on the spread.

When it comes to the total, that hit the board at 239.5 but that number did not last long. Early money jumped on the Over with the current number sitting at 242.

The Raptors’ offense has improved but the defense still needs some work. They rank 27th in defensive rating since the trade. Meanwhile, the Jazz have found their rhythm on offense, ranking 10th in offensive rating during this 9-2 stretch, averaging 122.8 points in those games.

I’m already on the Raptors to go Over their team total here, so I would lean toward the full-game total Over as well.