Jazz vs Nets

Lauri Markkanen and the Jazz arrive in Brooklyn having just snapped a skid with a 133-125 win over Houston after getting blown out by the Rockets the night before, while the Nets ride their first two-game winning streak of the season behind back-to-back 30-point outings from Michael Porter Jr. and sharper defense during a 4-5 run over their last nine. Utah’s offense (118.5 points per game) has been explosive but their 29th-ranked defense has leaked badly, and they’re likely to be thin up front again with Jusuf Nurkic and Walker Kessler banged up, yet the Jazz still bring the more stable creation with Markkanen and Keyonte George against a Nets roster that relies heavily on Porter and Nic Claxton to generate advantages. Last season’s tight 112-111 Utah win showed how much trouble Collier and the Jazz guards can give Brooklyn’s perimeter defense, and with the Nets on a back-to-back off an emotional road win, I’ll side with Utah’s superior top-end talent to grind out another close victory, though the -167 price and Utah’s 1-7 road mark keep this to a B rather than an elite grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 04/12/2025 09:50am

Brooklyn’s recent offensive surge, featuring 116 and 113 points in their last two games and a 39.7% team three-point clip over the past three, now runs into a Jazz group that scores in bunches but gives up 125.4 points per night and has been involved in totals of 231 or more in four of its last five, including 251 and 266 in losses to Golden State and the Lakers. With Utah’s frontcourt depth compromised by injuries to Nurkic and Kessler and Kevin Love/Niang managing various issues, Will Hardy has leaned into smaller, spacing-heavy lineups around Markkanen and George that trade size for pace and shooting, while the Nets’ stretch front line of Porter and Noah Clowney just torched Chicago with 19 made threes and should pull Utah’s bigs away from the rim. Add in last season’s 147-114 Nets home win over Utah and the Jazz’s 138-134 OT shootout against Phoenix as reminders of how wild these totals can get, and the combination of shaky defenses, hot shooters, and a modest spread suggests the Over 231.5 is worth a B+ grade despite the inherently high number. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 04/12/2025 09:50am

Michael Porter Jr. and the Nets have finally found a rhythm, winning two straight and going 4-5 over their last nine after a 1-11 start, and they now catch a Jazz team that has been far more vulnerable on the road (1-7) and is missing or limiting key bigs like Nurkic and Kessler, forcing more minutes from smaller lineups that can be bullied on the glass by Claxton and Clowney. While Utah’s guards—George, Collier and rookie Ace Bailey—give them a dynamic scoring trio that already burned Brooklyn in last season’s one-point Jazz win, this matchup feels more like another possession game, especially with Brooklyn’s defense tightening (no opponent over 119 points since a recent blowout loss) and their spacing wings like Ziaire Williams complementing Porter’s shot-making. Given how closely these teams played in that 112-111 meeting and how much the market has upgraded Utah off one bounce-back win while still pricing Brooklyn as if they’re in their early-season funk, taking the home dog at +4 with improving form and matchup edges on the interior earns a B+ grade on the spread. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 04/12/2025 09:50am