The Utah Jazz will travel west to face the Sacramento Kings. The Jazz had a hot start but have since cooled down and are in ninth place in the Western Conference at 19-18. Conversely, the Kings had a mediocre start but have become a dangerous squad.
They are in sixth place in the Western Conference at 18-15.
The Jazz are coming off a tough 112-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Utah came flying out of the gates and led 37-27 at the end of the first quarter. However, the Warriors did not back down, and the Jazz’s lead was only at six heading into the final quarter.
The Jazz choked in the final 12 minutes and only scored 13 points. Even though Utah lost, a few Jazz players had solid games. Lauri Markkanen had a 29-point, 16-rebound double-double, and Jordan Clarkson had 22 points on 8-14 shooting. The Jazz played well for three quarters but played poorly when it mattered most.
The Kings are coming off an impressive 127-126 win against the Denver Nuggets. They were down by 11 going into the final quarter, but Malik Monk pushed them to victory with his insane 33 points. Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox also each scored 31 points, respectively.
The Kings actually shot worse than the Nuggets but had four fewer turnovers and shot seven more free throws.
These teams are pretty evenly matched, but the Kings have more momentum right now, and their home-court advantage will be huge for them.
I realize home-court advantage is often a typical reason you might choose a team to win, but in this case, it matters. Allow me to elaborate. The Jazz are excellent at home but struggle on the road.
They are 12-5 in Salt Lake City but 7-13 away from Salt Lake City. On the other side, the Kings are mediocre on the road but have a bit more success at home. Sacramento has an 8-8 away record but a 10-7 home record. If you combine the Kings’ home success with the Jazz’s road struggles, it is easy to see why Sacramento will win.
My Prediction: Kings 119, Jazz 112
Kings look for balanced effort vs. Jazz – https://t.co/XUX9gMcZjp pic.twitter.com/yaSISx1boM
— CWEB (@cweb) December 30, 2022
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| Title: Utah Jazz vs Sacramento Kings Betting Preview
| Author: Max Heering
| Date: Dec 30, 2022