Portland Trail Blazers vs Utah Jazz Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Opening Week

Portland has scored 122.8 points per game through four games, and now the Trail Blazers walk into Salt Lake City on the second night of a back-to-back, hours after losing by 21 in Memphis. Utah is 1-4 and missing its starting frontcourt, but the Jazz are rested, at altitude, and loud at home.

The Matchup

Portland is 3-1, and the start has been loud. The Trail Blazers score 122.8 points per game and allow 114.0, and Deni Avdija has been the engine, leading the team at 22.8 points and 6.5 assists per game. Donovan Clingan leads Portland at 9.0 rebounds per game and gives Avdija a finisher at the rim, while Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson give the Blazers two more players who can create a shot late in a clock. This is a good team playing fast, and the record is not a fluke.

The backcourt is still short-handed, and that matters on a night like this. Ja Morant is out tonight. He has a hamstring injury and is not expected back until December, and Shaedon Sharpe is out after knee surgery, with no return expected until March. Portland has won without them, but the rotation behind Holiday is thin, and thin rotations are the ones that feel a back-to-back first.

Utah is 1-4 and the defense explains it. The Jazz score 112.4 points per game and allow 120.2, and last season's 22-60 team finished at -8.4 points per game, so this is a familiar problem rather than a bad week. Keyonte George leads Utah at 24.4 points and 6.8 assists per game, and Ace Bailey leads the team at 8.0 rebounds per game. The frontcourt is where Utah is hurting.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is out with a knee injury and is not expected back until the middle of December, and Jusuf Nurkic is out with a foot strain. Lauri Markkanen is day-to-day with a wrist injury, with a return date listed as today. Keep an eye on whether Markkanen plays before placing a bet. DraftKings makes Portland a 6.5-point favorite at the Delta Center, with a total of 232.5 and the Trail Blazers at -225 on the moneyline.

Key Factors

Portland played last night in Memphis and lost 124-103, then traveled to Salt Lake City. Utah played on Thursday, had Friday off, and slept in its own beds. A road favorite on the second night of a back-to-back, playing at altitude against a rested home team, is being asked to win the same game twice. The legs usually show it in the third quarter, when closeouts get slower and a home crowd can turn two stops into a run.

Utah's defense is generous enough to keep Portland comfortable, and that cuts both ways. A loose game with a total of 232.5 suits a home underdog that can score, because the Jazz do not need stops in bunches to stay close. They need George to keep getting into the paint and Bailey to keep possessions alive.

Portland's size is the honest worry. With Jackson Jr. and Nurkic out, Clingan faces a frontcourt with no true answer for him, and if he controls the offensive glass early, Portland can build the kind of lead that tired legs protect instead of chase.

Robert Williams III is day-to-day for Portland with a knee issue, with a return date listed as today, and his minutes change how hard Utah has to work at the rim. Keep an eye on whether Williams plays before placing a bet. If he sits, Portland's second unit loses its rim protection on exactly the night its starters are carrying last night's minutes.

Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.