Utah Jazz vs Washington Wizards Prediction: Can the Jazz continue their winning ways at home?

The Christmas season is on and so is the NBA season. Bone-chilling winter has hit various parts of the globe but the NBA players keep the heat up with their incredible up-and-down action. We are steadily progressing toward the midseason and the intrigue and mystery about the season will only deepen further. In an intriguing match-up, the Utah Jazz are going to take on the Washington Wizards.

The Jazz comes into this affair after thrashing the lowly Pistons 126:111 as Lauri Markkanen had an incredible 38 points night. The win curbed a two-game losing streak and there was some success in the tenuous road trips. Defensive dynamos Cavaliers and Bucks had both limited Jazz to below 100 but the lax Pistons gave them some relief. The Jazz has been derailed after starting with 10 wins and 3 losses, however, they refuse to go under the 50% win mark and have 18 wins and 16 losses. At home, they have won eleven and have lost five matches.

Lauri Markkanen’s career’s best season has been one of the main reasons why the Jazz has a 50%+ win record. He is averaging close to 23 points while shooting 44% from deep and has transformed to a well-versed scorer from being a stretch-four for Cavs. Clarkson is also averaging close to 20 points whereas Malik Beasley has averaged around 14 a game off the bench. Mike Conley’s scoring average has taken yet another dip but he has been a stellar playmaker with more than seven assists a game. While the Jazz lacks the Wing/Forward depth, they have still caused a decent amount of problems.

The Wizards come into this game after an unprecedented 113:110 win against the Suns as Kyle Kuzma rolled in 29 points and Bradley Beal had 27. This win came after a LONG time to break a nine-game losing streak. Although the Suns were missing Devin Booker, this was still a big win for a team that was losing against much worse units than Booker-less Suns. However, their record is still abysmal with just 12 wins and 20 losses, which is frankly surprising considering they have three 20+ points scorers in Kuzma, Kristaps, and Beal.

Kuzma is having the best season of his career, having touched the 20 points average for the first time. The Wizards’ trust in him has paid off indeed. Bradley Beal is having another great scoring season but his scoring numbers are way down compared to last season, but yes, his efficiency is way up. Kristaps Porzingis is having another impressive season but the Wizards lack the sauce at the Point Guard and lack consistent depth. Therefore, their efforts have faltered even in the face of such brilliant players.

• Jazz: OUT: Kelly Olynyk, Collin Sexton;
• Wizards: OUT: Delon Wright. QUESTIONABLE: Kristaps Porzingis.

The Jazz has been solid at home and when their long ball is clicking, even high-ranked teams find it tough to deal with them. However, the Jazz’s playing style also allows for a lot of scoring opportunities, but the Wizards haven’t been the type of squad that seizes on this opportunity, they rather collapse in vital scenarios. Will the win against the Suns boost their confidence? I believe Jazz will take care of business in a high-scoring affair. I predict a 124:118 in favor of the Jazz.