An extended rest during the NBA Cup didn’t seem to aid the LA Clippers much in their pursuit of a positive turnaround, but after three additional days off they should come out hungry for a win to snap their three-game losing streak against a vulnerable Utah Jazz team.
Utah is expecting Collin Sexton back from injury here, but as we’ll cover in our Jazz vs Clippers predictions, it doesn’t exactly help this team’s poor matchup get much better.
Let’s dig into some NBA picks for Monday, December 16.
Jazz vs Clippers prediction
My best bet
Clippers -8 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
The Los Angeles Clippers have been struggling on the defensive side of the ball in five games this month, allowing the 12th-most points per 100 possessions in the NBA, but they remain a Top 10 defense for the season and in a small sample, it’s quite easy to see why things have taken a slight downturn.
LA was pitted against a vaunted Denver Nuggets offense twice, winning a high-scoring battle on one of those occasions, running into the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets to boot.
While the Utah Jazz have picked things up this month, knocking on the door of the top five in offensive efficiency, its defense has been an unmitigated disaster and it’s found just one win in its last eight contests. Furthermore, the Jazz have been lucky enough to face some of the worst defenses in the NBA with games against the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers.
That brings me to this matchup, which has all the makings of a brutal one for Utah. This has been a team that has been all about the three-ball, taking over 40% of its shots from downtown this season to rank 12th in the NBA and cranking that number up over two percentage points this month to rank seventh.
The Clippers’ struggles on defense are confined to the frontcourt, where they’ve been second to only the Jazz in rim defense, but against the three they sit sixth for the year and 11th this month despite the tough run on that side of the floor.
Offensively, the Clippers have been heavily focused on scoring from the mid-range, where they’ve taken the fifth-most shots in the NBA — something problematic for Utah which has ranked dead last in that shooting zone this month.
We can expect LA to continue spamming the pick-and-roll here as it gashes Utah inside, and while its slight affection for the 3 may hurt a bit against a strong perimeter defense which is now returning Collin Sexton, its own defense around the arc should be more than enough for a much-needed win, and a comfortable one at that.
Jazz vs Clippers same-game parlay
Clippers -8
James Harden 10+ assists
Ivica Zubac 15+ points
It can be a fool’s errand to read into just one game when dissecting who will have a nice day at the office, but what James Harden and Ivica Zubac did against the Jazz in their lone meeting this year was anything but a fluke.
The two should be intertwined in this one as they carry the load offensively for LA given what we’ve laid out about Utah’s poor frontcourt defense. Zubac will score at the rim, sure, but he also is a weapon in the short mid-range with his push shots, leading me to believe another big night is on the menu after going for 22 a month ago against the Jazz.
Utah has allowed 45.7% shooting in the short mid-range and almost 71% shooting at the rim – both marks that sit in the bottom four of the league — and as Zubac and his teammates score at will in there they should do so off passes from Harden.
The pick-and-roll maestro racked up 11 assists in that win over the Jazz, and there should be plenty more coming against a team that has allowed 31.4 assists per 100 possessions to opponents this year – the highest number in the league by a wide margin. They’ve allowed the second-most per 100 possessions for the whole year, but in five games this December they’ve reached a new level of generosity.
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Jazz vs Clippers odds
Jazz vs Clippers live odds
Jazz vs Clippers opening odds
- Spread: Utah +8.5 | Los Angeles -8.5
- Moneyline: Utah +265 | Los Angeles -330
- Over/Under: Over 225.5 | Under 225.5
Odds courtesy of bet365
Jazz vs Clippers spread and Over/Under analysis
- There’s been some noticeable love for the Jazz in the betting market with the spread moving to eight points in just hours and snapping back to eight after a few quick moves to 8.5.
- While the Jazz have commanded 35% of the spread bets, they’ve made up just 29% of the handle.
- The total trickled all the way as low as 225.5 after opening two points higher, but has since crawled back to 223 as of Monday afternoon.
- The Over has accounted for 62% of the tickets but just 42% of the money.
Jazz vs Clippers trend
The Utah Jazz have hit the Game Total Over in 21 of their last 32 away games (+8.90 Units / 25% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Jazz vs. Clippers.
How to watch Jazz vs Clippers
| Location: | Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA |
| Date: | Monday, 12-16-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | KJZZ, FDSNSC |
Jazz vs Clippers latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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