Nets vs Jazz Picks and Predictions: Utah's One-Man Band

There are nine games on the NBA betting board this Friday, headlined by a battle between championship contenders as the Utah Jazz host the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets have been on a downward spiral without Kevin Durant and will try to turn things around against a Utah squad that has also struggled lately without some key pieces.

With the Jazz installed as 5.5-point home favorites tonight as Donovan Mitchell returns to the lineup, can the Nets pull off a much-needed upset? We let you know with our best free Nets vs. Jazz NBA picks and predictions for Friday, February 4. 

Nets vs Jazz odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

This line opened with the Jazz as 4.5-point favorites with the Over/Under at 229. Early money came in on Brooklyn and the Over, shifting the line to Jazz -4 and the total to 230. After reports came out that James Harden would sit out due to a hamstring injury the line shifted to Jazz -5.5, while the O/U ticked down to 229.5.

These teams previously played against each other last March, with the Jazz winning 118-88 as 13-point home favorites against a Nets team missing Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving. 

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Nets vs Jazz predictions

• Prediction: Jazz -5.5 (-110)
• Prediction: Under 229.5 (-110)
• Best bet: Irving Over 27.5 points (-110)

Predictions made on 2/4/2022 at 5 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Nets vs Jazz game info

• Location: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
• Date: Friday, February 4, 2022
• Tip-off: 9:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ATTSN-RM, YES

Nets vs Jazz betting preview

Injuries

Nets: Kevin Durant F (Out), James Harden SG (Out), Joe Harris SG (Out), LaMarcus Aldridge C (Out), Paul Millsap PF (Out).
Jazz: Donovan Mitchell SG (Probable), Hassan Whiteside C (Questionable), Jordan Clarkson PG (Questionable), Danuel House Jr. SF (Questionable), Rudy Gay (Questionable), Rudy Gobert C (Out), Joe Ingles SF (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Under is 5-0 in Utah's last five home games. Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. Jazz.

Nets vs Jazz picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

The Nets remain atop the NBA championship odds board despite losing six in a row, while the Jazz have the fifth-best title odds despite losing seven of their previous nine contests. A large reason for that optimism is the fact that neither team has been close to 100% for much of the season. 

The Jazz are coming off a 108-104 home win against the Nuggets on Wednesday, which snapped a five-game losing streak. They'll be thrilled that leading scorer Donovan Mitchell finally cleared concussion protocols after missing eight games. While Mitchell and his 25.5 points per game should be back tonight, All-Star center Rudy Gobert is still out with a calf injury.

The Jazz also lost key reserve Joe Ingles to a season-ending injury on Sunday, while reigning Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson and backup center Hassan Whiteside are listed as questionable.

The Nets have been without Joe Harris since November, lost MVP candidate Kevin Durant to an MCL injury three weeks ago, and James Harden was ruled out today due to a hamstring injury. Since losing Durant, the Nets are just 2-7 SU (3-5-1 ATS) with a net rating of minus-4.1.

That puts a lot of pressure on Kyrie Irving to carry the offensive burden. While the dynamic point guard has been a big help since rejoining Brooklyn in road tilts, he won't have much help around him.

With both teams struggling and missing so many key players, we'll lean ever-so-slightly towards a Jazz squad that has better depth and plays harder on the defensive end of the floor. 

Prediction: Jazz -5.5 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

While the line shifted a couple of points with the news that Harden wouldn't play, the total barely ticked down to 229.5, which seems too high when you consider how these teams have played recently.

The Jazz have scored fewer than 112 points in each of their last nine games, averaging just 104.3 points per game over that span. While Mitchell should be a boost on offense, his conditioning could be an issue after such a lengthy layoff and it's tough to see them improving so much in just his first game back.

Meanwhile, the Nets are averaging just 106 ppg in their last three games and with Harden joining Durant on the sidelines, they don't have much scoring depth outside of Irving. 

Both teams have also been playing at a slow tempo lately, with the Nets ranked 20th in the league in pace since losing Durant and the Jazz ranked 27th over the same span. With the Under 5-0 in Utah's last five games at home, take it again tonight. 

Prediction: Under 229.5 (-110)

Best bet

Irving is coming off a poor shooting night against the Kings where he scored just 14 points on 5-15 shooting from the field. However, he had been on a roll prior to that contest, dropping at least 30 points in three of his previous five games and averaging 28.4 ppg with a 50.5 FG% during that span.

While Irving is a dangerous outside shooter, he's also great at getting to the hoop and that task will be easier against a Jazz team that really misses Gobert in the paint. In 10 games that the Jazz have played without Gobert since the start of January, they have surrendered 116.2 ppg.

Without Durant and Harden, Irving will get the lion's share of shot attempts and should be a good bet to hit the Over 27.5 on his points total. 

Pick: Kyrie Irving points Over 27.5 (-110)

Pages related to this topic