The Washington Wizards finally got a win on Tuesday night after dropping 10 straight and now pay a visit to the Utah Jazz in Washington’s fifth of six consecutive road dates.
The Jazz also got back in the win column following a two-game losing streak and currently sit eighth in the Western Conference at 18-16. After visiting Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Detroit in their last three, the Jazz get a welcome break at home and head into Thursday’s matchup as a six-point favorite.
Will Utah or Washington stay in the win column on Thursday? Below are our free NBA picks and predictions for Wizards vs. Jazz on Dec. 22.
Wizards vs Jazz best odds
Wizards vs Jazz picks and predictions
Neither of these teams have been playing good defense lately, with the Wizards ranking 25th in opponent field-goal percentage (49.2) for the month of December and the Jazz landing 28th in the league, allowing opponents to hit 49.4% from the field.
From behind the arc, the Wizards have been particularly awful, ranking second to last in the NBA in opponent 3-point percentage (39.3%) this month, which is a huge concern against Utah, who is tied for third in the league in 3-pointers made per game (14.8) and hits 37% from deep on average. At home, the Jazz are even better, shooting 38.9% from 3 on 40.7 attempts per outing.
The Wizards’ weakness from downtown bodes well for the trio of Malik Beasley, Lauri Markkanen, and Jordan Clarkson, who each rank in the Top 30 in 3-pointers made per game. Beasley is tied for 11th in the league with 3.3 treys per night, while Markkanen is tied for 14th at 2.9 per game, and Clarkson is tied for 25th with 2.7.
Of the player props available for Thursday’s game, the value is with the Over on 2.5 3-pointers (+105) for Clarkson, who has knocked down three or more from behind the arc in his last four, going back to last Thursday, when he hit seven of 14 from deep against the Pelicans.
Since then, Clarkson has gone 3-for-7 from deep against Milwaukee (ranked sixth in opponent 3-point percentage in December), 3-for-6 against Cleveland (second in opp. 3P%), and 3-for-7 in the win over Detroit.
He should have little trouble finding his shot against the Wizards, who just allowed the Phoenix Suns to hit 40.6% from 3 and let Landry Shamet sink nine of 16 3-point tries in Tuesday’s 113-110 victory.
My best bet: Jordan Clarkson Over 2.5 made threes (+105)
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Wizards vs Jazz spread analysis
The Wizards and Jazz last met on Nov. 12 in Washington, where the Wizards downed Utah 121-112 behind 31 points and 10 rebounds from Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis’ status is uncertain for Thursday after he missed Tuesday’s game with a non-COVID illness.
On the plus side for Washington, Bradley Beal is back in the lineup. He was absent from the previous matchup while in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and has since missed a chunk of games in December due to injury.
Since the three-time NBA All-Star has returned to the lineup, he has averaged 28 points per game on 46% shooting.
Kyle Kuzma has also been hot and scored 23 points with eight rebounds and six assists over Utah last month.
The Jazz have the offense to match the Wizards’ output, as the team ranks fourth in the league in points per game (116.9) for the month of December.
The line for Thursday’s matchup has wavered around 6.5 in favor of the Jazz, who are 9-7 against the spread at home and just 4-8 ATS as the favorite.
The Wizards, meanwhile, are 7-8-2 ATS on the road and 8-10-2 as an underdog.
However, Washington is 4-1-1 ATS in its last six meetings with Utah and 3-0-1 ATS in its last four matchups in Salt Lake City.
Wizards vs Jazz Over/Under analysis
The total for Thursday’s game opened between 228.5 and 229 at most books and has settled at 230.
The Over is 6-1 in Utah’s last seven versus teams with a losing straight-up record and 7-3 in the team’s last 10 games following a straight-up win, while the Under is 4-1 in the Wizards’ last five games overall and 3-1-1 in Washington’s last five road games versus teams with a winning home record.
With both of these teams struggling on the defensive side lately, offense is set to shine on Thursday night. With Beal set to face Utah for the first time this season, the Jazz will have their hands full, even if Porzingis misses a second straight game.
But, Utah will also have plenty of firepower to display on offense and should have its way behind the arc. Look for both of these teams to go back and forth, but the Jazz will have the upper hand once they get hot from deep.
Wizards vs Jazz betting trend to know
The Over is 6-1-1 in the last eight meetings between these teams. Find more NBA betting trends for Wizards vs. Jazz.
Wizards vs Jazz game info
| Location: | Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT |
| Date: | Thursday, December 22, 2022 |
| Tip-off: | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBCS-Washington, AT&T SportsNet |
