The Utah Jazz will host a contest against the Boston Celtics at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Action begins at 10:30 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 19 and can be seen on ESP, RT and CNE.
The Jazz are expecting a better outcome after their 100-96 loss to the Pelicans in their last matchup. Derrick Favors was the game’s leading scorer with 29 points. The Celtics, meanwhile, are coming off a 139-134 win against the Clippers in their last game. Isaiah Thomas claimed his sixth double-double of the season with 36 points and 11 assists.
Over the last five games, Rudy Gobert has taken his game to another level for the Jazz, averaging 13.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.2 blocks.
It’s a matchup of two different tempos, as the up-and-down Celtics (ranked second in the NBA in possessions per game) square off against the grind-it-out Jazz (30th).
The Jazz have gone 26-27 Straight Up (SU) and 27-25-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Jazz have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 113.5 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 97.6 points per game. The Jazz will be looking to turn around their defense after struggling a bit recently. The Jazz have given up an average of 105.9 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 96.5 PPG. Utah will look to take advantage of the Celtics and their propensity to foul. Boston has committed the most fouls in the league, averaging 23.3 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Celtics have 32-23 SU and 30-23-2 ATS records. Against the Western Conference, Boston is 32-23 SU and 30-23-2 ATS. Offensively, the Celtics have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 105.8 points per game after averaging only 97.5 during that stretch. The Celtics convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking fifth in the league at .790. The Celtics are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking fourth in the NBA at 1.76. The Celtics average 101.5 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 92.7 points per game during that span. The Celtics have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the league at .435. Boston is the third-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 18.9 per game.
These two meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Boston won the last game in the matchup, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 8-2. With a 6-3-1 record, the Celtics also have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Bos
Notes
Boston averages 105.8 points per game (ranked fourth). However, Utah has allowed an average of just 96.5 points per game (ranked third).
Boston scores 105.3 points per away game, ranking fifth in the league. Utah gives up just 93.4 points per home game (ranked second).
Boston has a fantastic 24-3 record when it allows under 100 points this season. Utah is 14-19 when it puts up under 100.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Celtics are just 8-20 this season. Utah is a solid 12-7 when registering triple digits.
The Jazz have a defensive rating of 103.2 (ranked 14th), while the Celtics rank 12th for their offensive rating of 103.8.
The Utah Jazz average a field goal percentage of 44.5% this season. The Boston Celtics have a poor record of 6-15 when opponents have a FG% of 44.5% or greater.
The Utah Jazz rank higher for their effective field goal percentage (14th) than they do for their field goal percentage (18th). The Boston Celtics rank 21st for both their FG% and EFF%.
Boston, the fifth-ranked team in terms of assists, makes an average of 24.7 per game. Utah ranks lower at 29th with 18.4.
The Utah Jazz average 5.1 blocks per game for a rank of 14th. The Boston Celtics rank lower (23rd), earning 4.2 blocks each game.
Utah is ranked eighth in offensive rebounding. Boston ranks 11th in defensive rebounds.
Boston averages 9.5 steals per game (ranked second). Utah is 10-13 when allowing at least 9 steals.
