Is Lauri Markkanen Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Clippers vs. Jazz)

Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen has missed the team's last seven games with an illness, but he has been upgraded to questionable on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Lauri Markkanen (conditioning) officially listed questionable for Tuesday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) January 27, 2026

According to The Salt Lake Tribune's Andy Larsen, Markkanen is expected to make his return on Tuesday night, a huge lift for this Utah offense. The Jazz are still 8.5-point underdogs in this matchup, but they do have a win over the Clippers this season with Markkanen in action.

Lauri Markkanen (conditioning) expected to play on Tuesday, per @andyblarsen.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) January 26, 2026

Utah has fallen to the No. 13 seed in the Western Conference, and it's possible that Markkanen's extended absence with an illness was actually a positive thing for the franchise's desire to tank this season. Utah owes a top-eight protected pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and it can guarantee that it keeps that pick by finishing low enough in the standings during the regular season.

Markkanen has played at an All-Star level in the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 27.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game across 33 contests. He's shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from 3, posting the best scoring numbers of his NBA career.

There's a chance Markkanen will be on a minutes limit in his first game back on Tuesday, but I still think he could be worth targeting in the prop market vs. Los Angeles.

Best Lauri Markkanen Prop Bet vs. Clippers

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Lauri Markkanen 6+ Rebounds (-178)

Markkanen missed Utah's loss to the Clippers earlier this month, so it's really hard to project what his numbers will be if he's on a minutes restriction in this game.

But, he is averaging 7.2 boards per game and picked up six rebounds in the season opener against Los Angeles.

So, I don't mind taking Markkanen's rebound prop down to six or more on Tuesday night. The Clippers rank just 21st in the NBA in rebound percentage, and Markkanen is averaging 11.5 rebound chances per game this season.

I'd expect the star forward to play at least half of the game on Tuesday, which gives him a pretty solid floor when it comes to this prop.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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