The Toronto Raptors shocked the NBA world by not only standing pat with their roster on trade deadline day, but also filling one of the biggest holes on their roster by acquiring Spurs big man, and former Raptor, Jakob Poeltl.
So, OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., and Pascal Siakam are all still with the club heading into tonight’s matchup with the Utah Jazz, and this core is now Masai Ujiri’s ride-or-die for the remainder of this season.
Will Poeltl be the key to unlocking this group’s potential — and will he be available to help them cover tonight’s chalk? I break it all down and bring you my best bet in NBA picks and predictions for the Jazz vs. Raptors.
Jazz vs Raptors best odds
Jazz vs Raptors picks and predictions
Masai Ujiri stated in his post-trade deadline press conference that he can’t properly evaluate this team and its potential without a proper big man. Well, he now has the remainder of the season to do so with former center Jakob Poeltl back manning the middle.
The Raptors enter this matchup with the Jazz winners of three in a row and now sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors will need their defense to improve if they plan to keep climbing up the standings. Poeltl should help in that regard, providing an interior presence.
With Poeltl, the Raptors could really see a boost to an offense that has quietly shown improvement in recent weeks. A part of that comes from improved shooting from guys like Fred VanVleet and improved play from Precious Achiuwa.
The Raptors rank seventh in offensive rating over their last 15 games and are scoring 116.6 points per game over that stretch. Now the addition of Poeltl can create more opportunities in the pick and roll, as well as the ability to kick things out for open looks on the perimeter.
Tonight, that offense will have a chance to keep on rolling against a Jazz team in a rough spot.
Utah comes into this matchup dropping three in a row, straight up and against the spread, and has been torched recently, allowing 127.5 points over his last four games — which includes surrendering 128 points to this same Raps team back on Feb. 1. Overall, the Jazz rank 27th in defensive rating and 24th in scoring defense.
On top of all that, the Jazz will be shorthanded for this matchup, with Jordan Clarkson questionable with an illness and several rotation pieces moved on Thursday’s deadline.
I like the Raptors' offense to find their groove at home in this matchup, riding the momentum of the return of Poeltl, and go Over their team total in the process.
My best bet: Raptors team total Over 118.5 (-120 at PointsBet)
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Jazz vs Raptors spread analysis
The Raptors opened this matchup as 7.5-point favorites and after spending some time at -7, they’re back at the opening number as of Friday afternoon.
That’s a pretty incredible swing in a point spread. The Raptors were 2.5-point underdogs when these two teams last met on February 1, in a matchup the Jazz won 131-128.
Now, obviously, the Jazz were at home then and won’t have Mike Conley, Malik Beasley, or Jarred Vanderbilt now, while the Raptors will potentially have Jake Puddle, but is that worthy of a 10-point swing?
The Jazz also still have a solid starting lineup led by All-Star Lauri Markkanen and prior to the deadline ranked fourth in offensive rating and scoring offense. While the Raps' defense should show improvement with Poeltl, their inconsistency at that end of the floor can make it hard to trust them laying a big number.
I’m staying away from the spread.
Jazz vs Raptors Over/Under analysis
When it comes to the total, the number hit the board at a high 232 and the early money has come in on the Under, dropping the total to 230 as of Friday afternoon.
Obviously, I’m backing the Raptors to have a high-scoring game, so I’m inclined to back the full game Over as well. Partially due to Utah’s ability on offense and that inconsistent Raptors defense I just mentioned.
Toronto was a team that was supposed to be known for its defense, but that hasn’t been the case thus far. The Raps rank 17th in defensive rating, 27th in opponent field goal percentage, and 29th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage.
The Jazz offense lost some punch at the deadline, but this is a team that averages 117.5 points per game. Even with a slight dropoff, they should be able to do enough against a shaky Raptors defense to help send this one Over the total. And that’s the way I would lean.
Jazz vs Raptors betting trend to know
The Over is 6-0 in the Jazz's last six road games and is 5-2 in the Raptors' last seven home games vs. a team with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Find more NBA betting trends for Jazz vs. Raptors.
Jazz vs Raptors game info
| Location: | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Friday, February 10, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: |
AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, Sportsnet |
Jazz vs Raptors key injuries
