The Utah Jazz still have some work to do in order to improve their playoff positioning, so they’ll have a lot to play for when they host the Phoenix Suns on Friday. The Suns have also lost three of their last four games, so the Jazz are catching them at the right time.
Will Utah pick up a much-needed victory when these teams meet in Salt Lake City or will Phoenix get back on track? Find out in our free NBA picks and predictions for Suns vs. Jazz on April 8.
Editor's note: Ontario! Welcome to the world of regulated sports betting. Visit our Ontario sports betting page for the best legal betting sites available to you and all the information you need about this emerging industry.
Suns vs Jazz odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Jazz opened as 2.5-point favorites in this meeting with the Suns, and the line is now down at 2.0 on some books. However, you can get it at 1.5 on FanDuel. Meanwhile, the total opened at 226.5 and is as high as 228.5 now.
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.
Suns vs Jazz predictions
Predictions made on 4/8/2022 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2021-22 NBA season, here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New user big boost: Bet $1 on any NBA moneyline at DraftKings and get $150 in free bets if your team wins! Sign Up Now
B) New users can get two risk-free bets up to $2,000 at PointsBet! Claim Now
*Eligible USA locations only
Suns vs Jazz game info
• Location: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
• Date: Friday, April 8, 2022
• Tip-off: 9:30 p.m. ET
• TV: Sportsnet RM, Bally Sports Arizona
Suns vs Jazz betting preview
Key injuries
Suns: Deandre Ayton C (Probable), Chris Paul G (Probable), Jae Crowder F (Probable), Devin Booker G (Probable), Dario Saric F (Out).
Jazz: Mike Conley G (Probable), Royce O’Neale F (Probable), Trent Forrest G (Questionable), Udoka Azubuike C (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 18-7-1 in the last 26 games the Suns have played following a straight-up loss. Find more NBA betting trends for Suns vs. Jazz.
Suns vs Jazz picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
The Suns are struggling coming into this game and now face a Jazz team that still has a bit to play for. That might make you lean towards Utah in this game, but Phoenix isn’t going to roll over and die.
The Suns have spoken about the importance of heading into the playoffs with momentum, and they’re running out of time to get things right and find their game. With that in mind, it’s hard to pass up on backing the better team getting points in this one.
Phoenix still has some things to figure out on the offensive end, where the team has struggled since getting Paul back from his injury. However, it should be able to score enough points to win this game, and a lot of that has to do with the matchup between Booker and Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell is not exactly a world burner on defense and Booker is going to attack him every single time he sees the Jazz star guarding him. He can’t be shy about that, as Booker could struggle when O’Neale switches on him.
However, if that happens, that means the Suns will have the ability to play through guys like Mikal Bridges or Cam Johnson more. Paul should also be able to win his matchup with Conley, as CP3 is always a tough cover when he gets the chance to actually face players his size.
Defensively, Phoenix has remained as strong as ever in recent weeks. The team is third in the league in defensive rating this season, so it’s a tough matchup for a Jazz offense that is first in the league in offensive rating.
The Suns will likely give Booker a chance to defend Mitchell in this game, but if it’s not working then they’ll be able to throw Bridges on him. Bridges is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, so he’s definitely capable of making life tough on the Jazz star.
Ayton should also be able to make Gobert work in this game while they also have plenty of solid wing defenders to make sure Bogdanovic doesn't start popping off.
Overall, the Suns are going to try to play the role of spoiler in this game, and this is the exact type of win that could give the team supreme confidence heading into the postseason.
Prediction: Suns +2.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Over/Under analysis
The Sun's games were going Over at an extremely high clip for most of March, but the Under has hit in five of their last six games. Phoenix, which is third in the league in offensive rating this year, is just 29th over the last six games.
Meanwhile, it is also second in the league in defensive rating in that span — which it has been all season — and that combination is leading to some low-scoring games. Don’t expect that to change against a Jazz team that is just 23rd in the NBA in pace of play this year.
The Under also happens to be 11-4-2 in the last 17 road games that the Suns have played against teams with home winning percentages of 60% or higher, and also 18-7-1 in the last 26 games that they have played after a straight-up loss. And on the Jazz side, the Under is 10-1-1 in the last 12 games in which Utah is coming off a win by 10 or more points.
Prediction: Under 228.5 (-110 at FanDuel)
Best bet
It’s just hard to find a bet that is better than the Under on this game, especially with both teams playing all of their key pieces. If Phoenix had made the decision to rest its stars, it might have been a bit harder to predict how the team will play.
But we know the Suns are struggling a bit on the offensive end lately, and the Jazz are 11th in the league in defensive rating. So, while Phoenix is surely going to snap out of its offensive funk at some point, it would be surprising if the team scored around 120 in this game.
The Under is actually 36-20 when Phoenix is playing on the road with a total of 220 to 229.5 since Monty Williams became its head coach. It’s also 40-25 when Utah is playing with a line between +3 and -3 under head coach Quin Snyder.
Pick: Under 228.5 (-110 at FanDuel)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NBA Suns vs. Jazz predictions and picks in a single-game parlay, you could win $26.45 on a $10 bet?
Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
