The Philadelphia 76ers enter Saturday on the first night of a five-game road trip, facing the Utah Jazz for the second time this season after Joel Embiid put up 59 against them in November. Tonight, they’ll have to ride Joel Embiid’s hot hand again to secure a victory.
Utah, winners of two in a row, will look to have better luck against Philadelphia this time. Lauri Markkanen is playing the best basketball of his career, and he could help turn this one into a shootout.
Find out your best options with our free NBA betting picks and predictions for the Jazz vs. 76ers on Saturday, January 14.
76ers vs Jazz best odds
76ers vs Jazz picks and predictions
Utah has quickly descended back to reality after starting the season off promising. Tonight is another tough battle for it stylistically, as it'll have to prevent Joel Embiid from having a huge game. That will be challenging under any circumstances.
The task of slowing down Embiid is enormous for anyone, but that feels especially certain in Utah's case, as it currently allows the most points in the paint in the NBA. You can expect Embiid, who typically likes to attack inside and on the perimeter, to focus most of his attention offensively on scoring in the paint in this one.
The 28-year-old averages 12 points per game in the paint for the season, which should see a spike tonight.
Walker Kessler will get the brunt of slowing down Embiid, but that is a tall task for the 21-year-old 7-footer. Kessler can play, but he's still a young player and being asked to contain one of the best-scoring weapons in the entire NBA.
For anyone having a hard time deciding whether Embiid will cover the 32.5 currently set for his points in this matchup, remember that Embiid scored a blistering 59 points against this Jazz team back in November. I like Embiid to get hot early and often in this one. Utah will have its hands full again.
My best bet: Joel Embiid Over 32.5 points (-125)
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76ers vs Jazz spread analysis
The spread for tonight's action is currently set at -5 in favor of Philadelphia. The 76ers enter tonight's game with an 8-9 ATS record on the road, finding a way to maintain a near.500 mark with stars James Harden and Tyrese Maxey missing a combined 34 games. The team is beginning to get healthy now, and that should guide them to a victory in Utah, however, that won't guarantee an ATS victory.
Utah currently holds a 24-21 ATS record, and while it struggles to win games, it’s still highly competitive and finds itself in most of its games. While Philadelphia is the stronger team here, Utah is an impressive home underdog going 7-1 ATS on the year. Utah will need to win the battle of Lauri Markkanen against PJ Tucker. Markkanen is delivering the best season of his career and hasn't scored under 20 points in nearly a month.
Determining who will cover tonight is tough, but I'd lean on the Jazz to keep it competitive. They tend to play well on no day's rest and have an arsenal of scorers who can keep this game close.
76ers vs Jazz Over/Under analysis
For tonight's action, the Over/Under is currently set at 235. When examining the recent trends for each team, it seems more than likely we are headed for the Over in this matchup.
The 76ers have been a lock in the Over department, going 10-1 in the previous 11 games. Anytime Utah is involved, the Over is a real possibility as it scores the third most points per game (117.4). That has led to a 25-19 O/U record, with the Over hitting in four of its last five games.
Utah's ability to score points in bunches, combined with its lackluster defense, makes it feel like the 76ers' offense could show up significantly tonight. As expressed earlier, Embiid is the player to watch here.
After his historic 59-point explosion in his last matchup against Utah, expect him to have another big night. Utah doesn't have enough to contain the superstar center. Take the Over.
76ers vs Jazz betting trend to know
The Over is 9-0 in the 76ers’ last nine games playing on one day of rest. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Jazz.
76ers vs Jazz game info
| Location: | Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT |
| Date: | Saturday, January 14, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ATT&T Sportsnet Rocky Mountains, NBCS P+ |
