Portland Trail Blazers vs Utah Jazz Prediction: Two teams that have exceeded expectations

The NBA Regular Season has brought to us some sweet surprises and undoubtedly, this has been one of the most fascinating periods of play, bringing to us some of the most surprising results possible. As we head deeper, the terrain is only going to become murkier and the challenge will be on. In this game of the NBA, two teams that have spiced the matters in the Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers will clash.

The Trail Blazers come into this game after a disappointing 107:109 loss against the Utah Jazz despite a 25 points performance by Damian Lillard. The loss came after the team had acquired a 10-wins and four losses start, and despite that, they have twice more wins than losses. The upcoming schedule has six of the eight games away from home and it can be a tricky period. However, Portland has done well navigating through tricky periods thus far. Most of their losses have been close and they have beaten some formidable teams along the way decisively. While the addition of Jerami Grant, who has made for a boisterous defense and a strong inside game has been a major factor, there are some holes in this unit that can hurt the team long-term.

One huge issue is Damian Lillard’s tendency to take tough shots from deep and the other is the team turning it over during crucial moments. Lillard has often shot below 30% from deep and he has struggled to get going. As a matter of fact, starting off-guard Josh Hart has also struggled in big ways so some players are not on the mark. Starters Anfernee Simons, Josh Hart, Damian Lillard, Jerami Grant, and Jusuf Nurkic sound like a strong two-way team whereas Justise Winslow, Drew Eubanks, and Shaedon Sharpe have also provided quality with rookie Sharpe being the most impressive scorer off-the-bench. The team plays hard defensively and that is a major reason for their early gains.

The Trail Blazers come into this game after a disappointing 107:109 loss against the Utah Jazz despite a 25 points performance by Damian Lillard. The loss came after the team had acquired a 10-wins and four losses start, and despite that, they have twice more wins than losses. The upcoming schedule has six of the eight games away from home and it can be a tricky period. However, Portland has done well navigating through tricky periods thus far. Most of their losses have been close and they have beaten some formidable teams along the way decisively. While the addition of Jerami Grant, who has made for a boisterous defense and a strong inside game has been a major factor, there are some holes in this unit that can hurt the team long-term.

One huge issue is Damian Lillard’s tendency to take tough shots from deep and the other is the team turning it over during crucial moments. Lillard has often shot below 30% from deep and he has struggled to get going. As a matter of fact, starting off-guard Josh Hart has also struggled in big ways so some players are not on the mark. Starters Anfernee Simons, Josh Hart, Damian Lillard, Jerami Grant, and Jusuf Nurkic sound like a strong two-way team whereas Justise Winslow, Drew Eubanks, and Shaedon Sharpe have also provided quality with rookie Sharpe being the most impressive scorer off-the-bench. The team plays hard defensively and that is a major reason for their early gains.

• Trail Blazers: OUT: Keon Johnson, Gary Payton II. QUESTIONABLE: Nasir Little;
• Jazz: OUT: Rudy Gay.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Damian Lillard(27+ Points), Lauri Markkane (20+ Points), Jerami Grant(20+ Pointes);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Jusuf Nurkic(8-11 Rebounds), Jerami Grant(7-10 Rebounds), Lauri Markkanen(7-10 Rebounds), Jarred Vanderbilt(6-9 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Damian Lillard(9-13 Assists), Mike Conley(7-10 Assists).

The Trail Blazers have done well on the defensive end, an area where they have had an edge over the Utah Jazz. They have a well-rounded and deep nit that is able to pick apart multiple attacks, even if they have lost. The Jazz has offensive depth, perhaps more than the Trail Blazers, and their bench options are much richer. The Trail Blazers play eight to nine regular rotation players, and the Jazz can play 10-11, thus fatigue can be an issue for Portland.

But in this game, fatigue is going to be a bigger factor when it comes to Jazz, which were pushed to the limits by the Suns and had to work hard till last minute. Such games can be exhausting but also uplifting, there is no bigger momentum booster like a win. However, in this game, they will run into a Portland team that is physical and knows how to drain energy. That’s why I’d favor Portland to win here. I see a points range of 225-235 and predict the scoreline of 118:109 in their favor.