Game Time: 10:00 PM ET, Thursday, March 31st, 2022 

Venue:  Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

Where to Watch: TNT

DraftKings:  Spread:  Jazz -13; O/U 226

Fanduel:  Spread:  Jazz -13; O/U 227

BetMGM:  Spread: Jazz -12.5

Lakers: 31-44, 11th place Western Conference

Jazz: 45-31, 5th place Western Conference

A nationally televised Western Conference matchup between two teams that got severely humiliated in their last games.  This is the battle of the wounded.  The battle of the disappointments and the single best reason that TNT needs flex games to choose from.  I’d much rather see a better matchup.  Now don’t get me wrong… I love the Lakers soap opera:  The best player of the last two decades who is destroying every all-time record in the books is trapped on the team with the worst owner, GM, and possibly coach in the NBA.  LeBron is trapped with an injured Anthony Davis and a poorly performing Russell Westbrook.  LeBron bets two teammates were unemployed over the summer in SG Austin Reeves (undrafted rookie free agent) and SF Stanley Johnson (draft bust from the Detroit Pistons who was last cut from the league).  It’s an unwinnable situation… add in the idea that the Lakers traded away every first round pick until 2027 to build this dumpster fire.  The Clippers will rule Los Angeles for a decade.  The Utah Jazz have a BIg Two of sorts… they have SG Donovan Micthell and C Rudy Gay… after that they have struggled to build much more.  Over the last 4 seasons the Jazz have been contenders for a playoff spot… but not much else… now they are giving up space to the Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns… They have been usurped… with big roster decisions to make.  They got smacked by the Clippers the last time they played.  After going up by 25 POINTS in the game… the Clippers clawed back for the win. The Jazz could do nothing to fend off the run.  They were spent.

The Los Angeles Lakers have won just 3 of their last ten games.  They went 4-6 ATS during that stretch.  They fell out of the “play-in game spot”.  They are suffering, in-fighting, and losing.  They are on a 3-0game losing streak with 5 of their last 7 games against winning teams.  The GOAT LeBron James has tweaked an ankle and will probably only play a couple more games to get the scoring title before shutting it down.  The end of the season for the team that won the title in the bubble will be a struggle to reach a “play-in” game!  There are dark skies over crypto.com arena. The last loss to the Dallas Mavericks was indeed humbling. Guards Malik Monk and Russell Westbrook had 28 points and 25 points respectively on bad shooting.  That opened the floor for Dallas star Luka Doncic to score 34 points in less than 30 minutes of play.  The game was not as close as the final score and the final score was Dallas 128 - Lakers 110.  The Lakers got zero points from Dwight Howard in 5 minutes, zero points from Avery Bradley in 16 minutes, and 4 points from Carmelo Anthony in 15 minutes.  There are 3 rocking chairs waiting for these guys… they are on a long porch next to the rocking chairs marked Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington, DJ Augustin, and Trevor Ariza.  It is time to take up fishing for most of these guys.  If the roster was scrapped and a G-league team was called up the record would be either the same or better.

The Utah Jazz have won 4 of their last 10 games, but are on a 5-game losing streak.  They went 3-6-1 ATS during that stretch.  If you had bet against them the last 5 games, you would be at the Land Rover dealership today.  Leading scorer SG Donovan Mitchell is being desperately underserved on this team.  He brings 26 ppg, 5.4 asts, and 1.5 steals… but he should not be the best player on a team.  He is a shooting guard that falls below the levels of exce;;ence set by Kobe, MJ, and other SG’s.  Donovan is a great player that needs to be the #2 option.  Donovan is paired with C Rudy Gobert, who is a defensive mastermind.  Rudy gets 2.2 blocks per game to go with a mind-boggling 14.6 rpg.  Rudy is also great!.. But his 15 ppg won’t get him into the top 3 Centers in the league with Embiid, Jokic, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Unfortunately for Utah, 2 of those three centers play in the Western Conference… and both are in the Jazz’s division.  Rudy and Donovan are great players.. No shade… you just can not make a big three out of two guys who are not top 3 at their positions.  They need to be split up in two giant, separate trades that bring back loads of players who would never come to Utah if they were free agents.

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The Lakers are 31-44 on the season, but 31-43-1 ATS.  They have logged 42 Overs, 32 Unders, and 1 Push.  They are a disastrous 11-26 on the road.

The Jazz are 45-31 on the season, but 31-42-3 ATS.  They have notched 34 Overs, 40 Unders, and 2 Push.  They are 26-11 in home games.  A good team at home, also ATS.

The Lakers are 11th in scoring with 111.5 ppg, 19th in rebounds with 44.1 per game, and 23rd in AST/TO ratio 1.7.  On defense they rank a pitiful 27th while allowing 114.5 ppg from opponents.

The Jazz are 6th in scoring with 113.3 ppg, 5th in rebounds with 45.9 per game, and 29th in AST/To ratio with 1.6.  On defense they rank 10th while allowing 107.8 ppg

Our prediction for Thursday, March 31st is…. Jazz 138 - Lakers 100

A big win for the Jazz.  The Lakers are the “get right team” for the Jazz.  I wouldn’t put money on the Lakers until they start drafting again in 2027.  (kidding, I would make money off them if I see any improvement in the numbers).  LeBron is listed as doubtful to play... that leaves a pretty empty roster since AD and Kendrick Nunn are also out. 

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33 of 54 games between these two teams have gone UNDER since 1996.
Utah is 15-33 ATS after a road loss the last 3 seasons.
The Lakers are 3 Over and 11 Under against Northwest division opponents.

Lakers: SF LeBron James (ankle) Doubt ** PG Kendrick Nunn (ankle) Out ** PF Anthony Davis (ankle) Out

Jazz: C Hassan Whiteside (foot) Quest ** C Udoh Azubuike (ankle) Out ** Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) Out ** SF Danuel House Jr (knee) Out

Lakers: SF Stanley Johnson, PF Austin Reeves, PG Malik Monk, Sg Russell Westbrook, C Dwight Howard

Jazz: SF Royce O'Neale, PF Juancho Hernangomez, C Rudy Gobert, PG Mike Conley, Sg Donovan Mitchell

Lakers: Frank “dead man walking” Vogel

Jazz: Quin “the invisible man” Snyder