The NBA has a full schedule of action on Christmas Day, culminating in the exciting finale of the Portland Trail Blazers at the Utah Jazz. Tipoff from Vivint Smart Home Arena is set for 10:30 p.m. ET. These squads hooked up on Friday with 16-18 Utah getting the better of Portland, 120-90, but the Blazers enter play with the stronger record of 19-14. Sportsbooks list the Jazz as 6-point favorites in the latest Trail Blazers vs. Jazz odds. The Over-Under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 214.5. Before you make any Blazers vs. Jazz picks of your own, check out what top NBA analyst Micah Roberts has to say.
Roberts worked in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry for 20 years, including a 13-year stint as Station Casinos' book director. Armed with an unmatched network of sources, Roberts has covered the Vegas sports-betting industry for Sporting News, Gaming Today and VegasInsider.com.
Roberts is on a red-hot 11-4 streak involving his most recent NBA selections. He also has a great feel for the Jazz. He's 6-3 in his past nine spread picks involving Utah. The last time Roberts made a pick on the Jazz was Dec. 17, when he backed the Rockets as 4.5-point home favorites against Utah. He expected Houston to bounce back after a humiliating 27-point loss to the Jazz earlier in the month. The result was a tremendous effort by Houston's defense to hold Utah to 39-percent shooting in the 102-97 win, allowing Roberts to cover.
He has taken into account the Trail Blazers are gaining confidence on a 6-3 streak. Their offense, which is averaging a robust 111.4 points per game, is set up by point guard Damian Lillard. He leads the Blazers with 27.1 points per game and is No 1 on the team in assists with 5.9. Against Dallas Sunday night, Lillard poured in 33 points as he willed the team to victory.
He also was money from the free-throw line with the game hanging in the balance, going a perfect 9-for-9. Even more impressive is his performance from three-point range over the last five games, where he's been an astounding 20-for-33. At 89 percent, Lillard is also among the league leaders in free-throw percentage. While Utah crushed Portland 120-90 Friday, the teams have been evenly matched recently, splitting the previous 10 games head-to-head, and both are 5-5 against the spread.
Although the Jazz blew by the Blazers last week, doesn't mean that Utah will cover this spread against Quin Snyder's 16-18 squad.
The Jazz are hoping to find their momentum at Vivint Smart Home Arena, where they're in the midst of a four-game homestand. Center Rudy Gobert is having a sensational season, averaging nearly 15 points per game and an impressive 12.3 boards. He's fifth in steals at 2.0 and has snagged double-digit rebounds in seven consecutive games. In his last outing against the Thunder, he rattled in 20 points and a key block in a losing effort. Gobert has blocked at least one shot in six straight.
But Utah's offense still runs through Donovan Mitchell. The shooting guard leads the team in scoring at 20.2 and registers 1.7 steals per contest. While capable of shooting from anywhere on the court, he's lethal when dashing to the rim. He also isn't afraid to tangle with the big boys in the paint and is knocking down over 80 percent of his free throws.
We can tell you Roberts is leaning Under, but his stronger play is on the side. He has spotted a glaring trend that demonstrates which side has the value. You absolutely need to see his selection before locking any picks of your own.
Who win Trail Blazers vs. Jazz? And which side of the spread is Roberts backing? Visit SportsLine to get the strong against-the-spread selection from the expert who is on a smoking-hot 11-4 NBA point-spread streak, and find out.
