Warriors vs Jazz Picks and Predictions: Gobert's Absence Continues to Plague Jazz

Two of the best defenders on the planet will be sidelined when the Golden State Warriors face the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, as Draymond Green will be out for the Warriors and Rudy Gobert continues to miss games for the Jazz. That means that we could be in for some special offensive performances from Steph Curry and Donovan Mitchell. 

Will Golden State end up picking up a big road win over Utah tonight? You’ll want to keep reading our Warriors vs. Jazz NBA picks and predictions for February 9 to find out. 

Warriors vs Jazz odds

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

Utah was a 2-point favorite at open and is now laying 2 or 2.5, despite Golden State taking most of the bets. The total in this game has gone way up, with it starting at 221.5 and now being as high as 224.5. 

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.

Warriors vs Jazz predictions

• Prediction: Warriors +2.5 (-110)
• Prediction: Over 224 (-110)
• Best bet: Wiggins Over 16.5 points (+100)

Predictions made on 2/9/2022 at 11:40 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Warriors vs Jazz game info

• Location: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
• Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2022
• Tip-off: 10:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN

Warriors vs Jazz betting preview

Key injuries

Warriors: Andre Iguodala F (Out), Klay Thompson G (Out), Kevon Looney C (Questionable), Nemanja Bjelica F (Out), Draymond Green F (Out), James Wiseman C (Out).
Jazz: Rudy Gay F (Questionable), Joe Ingles F (Out), Rudy Gobert C (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Warriors are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games as underdogs. Find more NBA betting trends for Warriors vs. Jazz.

Warriors 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

It’s a little surprising to see Golden State as the underdog against a Utah team that doesn’t have Gobert or Ingles. Sure, the Warriors are missing Thompson and Green in this one, but Curry has gotten a little used to playing without those guys. And he still has Andrew Wiggins as a running mate, while Jordan Poole has shown that he is plenty capable of providing a spark off the bench. And Otto Porter Jr. is also somebody that can rise to the occasion in extended minutes. 

Utah being without Gobert is the biggest factor when looking at this game, as this is not a team with much of a margin of error on the defensive end. Mike Conley is going to work his tail off to try and shut Curry down, but that’s not some easy task.

Outside of him, the only other Jazz player that consistently plays hard on the defensive end is Royce O’Neale. That’s just not going to cut it against a Golden State team that has one of the most complex offenses in basketball. The Warriors are going to be moving nonstop and they’ll also do what they can to target weaker defenders. 

Of course, Golden State will have to deal with Donovan Mitchell, but it helps when you know you have your own guard that is capable of outdueling anybody in basketball. Curry should end up being more of a presence than Mitchell, and the Jazz guard also doesn’t have the same help from his supporting cast. Bojan Bogdanovic is a great shooter for Utah, but Golden State won’t leave him open all that often. 

Prediction: Warriors +2.5 (-110) 

Over/Under analysis

The Over is 10-2 when Utah is coming off back-to-back games of allowing 105 or fewer points this season, with the average total points scored in those games being 230.2. The Over has also cashed in seven of the 11 games that Golden State has played as an underdog on the year. 

Outside of the trends backing up the Over as a good play in this game, these teams are also amongst the best in basketball on the offensive end. The Jazz are first in the league in offensive rating, while the Warriors are ninth — and happen to have the most explosive shooter in the history of the game. And with both of these teams missing their defensive anchors, it’s hard to imagine this not being a game with a lot of scoring. 

Prediction: Over 224 (-110) 

Best bet

With Thompson out, Wiggins now becomes the second-most important offensive player for Golden State in this game. The All-Star has been extremely reliable for this team all year long, and he now heads into a matchup that should suit him rather well. With Ingles out for Utah, the team is now without one of the few wings on the team that actually works hard on the defensive end — even if he has lost a step over the years. 

Wiggins will now see either Bogdanovic or O’Neale for a majority of this game, and only the latter should pose much resistance. He should be able to get to the basket pretty frequently in this one, and the Warriors will also run a few more designed plays for Wiggins as a shooter with Thompson sidelined. 

Overall, it’s hard to envision this being a Warriors win without Wiggins doing his part, especially in a game that should go Over the total. 

Pick: Andrew Wiggins Over 16.5 points (+100) 

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