Celtics vs. Jazz Prediction & Odds
The number two seed Celtics travel to Salt Lake City to take on the #11-seed Utah Jazz on Saturday night at 9:00 PM ET. Can the Celtics cover the 6-point spread as road favorites?
The Boston Celtics are 49-22 on the season. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Celtics are 38-33 ATS on the year.
The Utah Jazz are 33-36 on the season. They’re 4-6 in their last 10 games. The Jazz are 38-29-2 ATS on the year.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
541 Boston Celtics (-6) at 542 Utah Jazz (+6); O/U 228
9:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 18, 2023
Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Celtics vs. Jazz Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 58% of public bettors are currently backing the Celtics -6 in this contest. Note that these numbers are subject to change, so be sure to check the link to receive the most up-to-date public betting data.
Boston Celtics DFS Spin
Boston center Robert Williams III won’t play in Saturday’s game against Utah. He’s dealing with a left hamstring strain and should be back at the end of the month. Williams is one of the Celtics’ best defensive players and he’s averaging 8.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game in 24.2 minutes per contest for Boston this season.
Boston point guard Malcolm Brogdon was initially listed as probable for the Celtics’ Friday night game against the Blazers, but he was held out of that contest. Brogdon had been dealing with right Achilles soreness and his status for Saturday is unknown. Brogdon is averaging 14.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2 made three-pointers per game for Boston this year.
Utah Jazz DFS Spin
Utah guard Jordan Clarkson has missed the team’s last four games with a left finger sprain, and he’s officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s tilt with Boston. Clarkson is second on the team in scoring with 20.8 points per game this season.
For a DFS sleeper play at shooting guard, consider Utah’s Talen Horton-Tucker. The former Iowa State Cyclone is averaging 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.3 made three-pointers per contest in six games this month. Horton-Tucker has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 15 games and seems like a good bet to hit that number for the 11th time in 16 games against a Boston team that’s playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
Celtics vs. Jazz NBA Betting Trends
Utah is 8-1 ATS as a home underdog this season.
Utah is 1-0-1 ATS this season when they have 4+ days off between games.
Utah is 19-15-1 ATS after an outright loss this season.
The under is 22-13-1 in Boston’s road games this season.
Celtics vs. Jazz NBA Prediction
This is a pure schedule play. Utah hasn’t played a game since Monday night in Miami, and Boston will be playing for the fourth time in six nights. The Celtics are in the middle of a grueling west coast road trip where they’ve already played Houston, Minnesota, and Portland this week. Boston plays at Utah on Saturday night and then at Sacramento on Tuesday night.
There’s also the Danny Ainge factor. Ainge was a longtime Boston Celtics executive but now works for the Utah Jazz as the CEO of basketball operations. In the summer of 2022, Ainge hired former Celtics assistant Will Hardy to be the new head coach of the Jazz. These connections could provide the Jazz with a little extra motivation to beat Boston, and/or inform Utah’s game plan against the Celtics. I think the Celtics look tired against a scrappy Utah team, and the Jazz cover the number at home on Saturday night.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: UTAH JAZZ +6
