The Toronto Raptors will look to finish .500 on their current six-game road trip when they take on the Jazz in Utah on Friday night.
Toronto is 2-3 on its West Coast trip and is coming off back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers. On Wednesday, the Raptors, who were without starters Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl due to injuries, battled the Clippers hard and kept the game close through three quarters before running out of gas in the final frame on the second night of a back-to-back set. They fell 126-120 but did cover the spread as 11.5-point underdogs.
Bet on Raptors vs. Jazz
TOR +3
UTA -3
The red-hot Jazz are looking for a fourth straight win after knocking off the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers in the last week. That’s no easy task against quality opposition and the Raptors will be in tough against them on Friday.
Here’s a look at the odds for the matchup courtesy of bet365:
Raptors vs. Jazz odds
| Raptors Moneyline Odds | +125 |
| Jazz Moneyline Odds | -150 |
| Over/Under | 239.5 points (over -110, under -110) |
| Spread | Jazz -3 (-110) |
| Time/Date | January 12, 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: SN1 Stream: NBA League Pass (How to watch the NBA in Canada?) |
All odds courtesy of 
About the Raptors (15-23 SU, 20-18 ATS, 22-16 o/u)
The big storyline heading into this one will be Siakam’s availability. He leads the team with 22.2 points per game, and with Poeltl sidelined, his absence would leave a sizable hole in the Raptors’ frontcourt heading into a matchup with a team whose strength is its frontcourt. The Jazz are loaded with talented big men (Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, Walker Kessler) and it’ll already be difficult for the Raptors to match up without Poeltl, their primary rim protector and second-best rebounder.
Due to the potential injury issues, the Raptors have recalled guard Gradey Dick from Raptors 905. He’s struggled at the NBA level but is having success in the G League, averaging over 15 points per game.
Aside from the injury problems, the Raptors have been piling up points recently, shooting at least 50% from the field and 40% from three-point range in three straight games, averaging 128 points per game during that span. Newcomers RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley have injected some much-needed shooting prowess into the lineup. Barrett is averaging 22 points per game in six games since becoming a Raptor while shooting a blistering 59.3% from the field.
Scottie Barnes, the undisputed MVP of the team to this point, is averaging career highs in points (20.4), rebounds (8.6) and assists (5.7) this season. He is one of just three players in the Eastern Conference averaging 20/8/5, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.
About the Jazz (19-20 SU, 23-16 ATS, 20-18-1 o/u)
Wednesday’s victory over the Nuggets was Utah’s third straight game against a team with a .650 or better win percentage and the Jazz decimated their opponents by double digits in each matchup (at Philadelphia by 11 – Embiid didn’t play for the Sixers due to a knee injury, at Milwaukee by 16, vs. Denver by 13).
The Jazz are 9-2 straight-up and 9-2 against the spread over their last 11 games, tied for the NBA’s best record during that span. This is quite the turnaround after the team began the year 7-16, only to follow that up with a remarkable 12-4 run to sit one game below .500 entering play Friday, which marks the second game of a season-long six-game homestand for the Jazz.
One of the reasons for the turnaround is the play of Collin Sexton, who was inserted into the starting lineup after coming off the bench for the team’s first 23 games. Since moving to the starting lineup, the second-year guard is averaging 21.3 points per game and the Jazz are 12-4.
It’s worth noting that Utah staged a 17-point road comeback to defeat the Raptors in Toronto on Dec. 23 in their only previous meeting this season. The Jazz won the game 126-119 and covered the spread as 5.5-point underdogs. The teams combined to soar over the 233-point total.
Collin Sexton over 18.5 points
-115
Injury concerns
For the Raptors, Siakam is questionable with back spasms after missing Wednesday’s contest with the Clippers. Poeltl is still out with an ankle injury and Otto Porter Jr. is questionable with a knee injury. Christian Koloko is doing individual work but is not ready to return after an extended absence due to a respiratory issue.
The Jazz have a clean injury report.
Betting trends
- The over is 5-0 in the past five meetings between the teams.
- The over is 7-1 in Toronto’s last eight games.
- Utah is 5-0 SU in its last five home games.
Player prop trends
- As previously mentioned, Sexton’s point production is surging. He’s averaging 20.2 points over his last five games and is -115 to score over 18.5 points on Friday. Sexton has eclipsed this mark in four of his last five contests and seven of his last 10.
- Collins has recorded at least one assist in six straight games, averaging two per game during that span. He’s -185 to record over 0.5 assists.
- Despite standing at just six-foot-three, Jazz guard Kris Dunn has been a sneaky over play on his blocks total recently. He’s swatted at least one shot away in five straight games and eight of his last 10. You can get him at -115 to record over 0.5 blocks.
- Note: Raptors player props are off the board at bet365 at time of publish likely due to the uncertainty surrounding Siakam’s injury status.
Wagers to consider
- The Jazz are very good at rebounding the ball (third in the NBA at 46.3 boards per game) and they have the potential to dominate on the glass Friday with the Raptors’ depleted frontcourt. It might be worth taking a look at Markkanen (over 8.5 rebounds, -115) and Collins (over 6.5 rebounds -115) to exceed their posted rebounding totals.
- The Raptors have been playing spirited basketball lately, but how do you not back the scorching-hot Jazz in this one, at home, coming off three lopsided victories over top teams? You have to wonder how much Toronto has left in the tank at the end of a long road trip, and there’s uncertainty around Siakam’s health and potential effectiveness, if he does suit up. Take the Jazz on the spread (-3, -110).
