Jazz vs Cavaliers

Cleveland’s core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen is intact and powering a 22-18 start with 119.3 points per game as the Cavs sit second in the Central and jockey for a top-six seed, while Utah arrives at 13-25 on a 1-4 slide that includes a 55-point home embarrassment against Charlotte and repeated defensive meltdowns on this stretch. With Walker Kessler out for the season, Georges Niang ruled out and rookie Ace Bailey questionable, the Jazz are thin up front and on the wing, a bad recipe against Cleveland’s loaded starting five and home crowd at Rocket Arena, especially given that the Cavs have beaten Utah by 11-plus in each of the last three meetings. Laying -800 offers poor raw value, but when you combine the healthy Cavs roster, Utah’s injuries and form, and Cleveland’s sustained dominance in the matchup, backing the Cavaliers on the moneyline earns a solid B as a high-confidence, low-upside play. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/01/2026 08:25([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/Cle))

Utah’s 119.0 points per game and Cleveland’s 119.3 suggest plenty of scoring, but their profiles still point under a bloated 250.5 total, with most Jazz games—even in up-tempo shootouts—and recent Cavs contests like the 146-134 win over Minnesota landing in the low-to-mid 240s rather than the 250s. The Jazz’s leaky defense has produced some extreme outcomes (like the 150-95 loss to Charlotte), yet injuries to rotation pieces such as Niang and Kessler, plus Bailey’s questionable status, cut into their spacing and rim running, while Cleveland’s own absences (Max Strus and Dean Wade) quietly shave three-point volume and bench scoring for a team that can comfortably downshift if it controls the game. In a spot where both offenses are strong but the number clearly sits above their season-long scoring baselines and blowout risk could slow the fourth quarter, Under 250.5 at -110 grades as a B+ based on the math more than the matchup sizzle. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/01/2026 08:25([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/utah/utah-jazz))

Donovan Mitchell’s 29.8 points per game and Cleveland’s string of recent home wins by comfortable margins over solid teams (including 141-118 over the Pelicans and 146-134 over the Timberwolves) support the Cavs laying -12.5 against a Jazz group that’s 1-4 in its last five and has been blasted by double digits repeatedly, capped by that 55-point Hornets loss. Even with Lauri Markkanen playing at an All-Star level and Keyonte George driving Utah’s playmaking, the absence of Kessler’s rim protection, Niang’s shooting and potentially Bailey’s two-way punch leaves the Jazz undermanned versus a Cavs front line of Mobley and Allen that has already anchored three straight double-digit wins over Utah. With Cleveland fighting to solidify its playoff positioning in the East and Utah trending back toward the lottery, Cavaliers -12.5 at -120 earns a B-, leaning on talent, health and matchup history while acknowledging the risk of a late backdoor cover from Utah’s capable offense. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/01/2026 08:25([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3908809/donovan-mitchell?utm_source=openai))