Predicting Jazz's Final Record Based on Oddsmakers' Outlook

With only 20 games left in the regular season, it’s looking like a photo finish in regard to whether the Utah Jazz end up making the postseason. Through 62 games, the Jazz are playing .500 basketball and are currently sitting at the No. 8 seed in a competitive Western Conference.

In the play-in tournament, the No. 7 and 8 seed get two chances to win one game to qualify for postseason play. However, if Utah slides into the No. 9 or 10 spot, they’ll have to win back-to-back contests in order to be playoff bound.

The Jazz don’t have a deep bench to lean on if they’re bitten by the injury bug. The trade that saw Malik Beasley, Mike Conley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Nickeil Walker-Alexander leave town destroyed Utah’s depth.

One key injury could have Utah free-falling to the lottery. That being said, Utah’s current starting lineup is stronger than the one that started the season due to the emergence of Walker Kessler and the addition of Collin Sexton.

Also, Lauri Markkanen is a better version of himself that began the year, which should help make up for some of the depth issues. Utah’s playoff hopes could come down to schedule difficulty.

Let’s break down how the oddsmakers should see these games shaking out where things stand today.

Utah Favored

San Antonio
@Charlotte
@Orlando
Sacramento
Portland
@San Antonio
@Brooklyn
Oklahoma
L.A. Lakers
Denver

Utah Underdog

@Miami
@Oklahoma
@Oklahoma
@Dallas
Boston
Milwaukee
@Sacramento
Phoenix
@Boston
@L.A. Lakers

Not being able to predict load management decisions and unforeseen injuries makes this far from a perfect science. Also, one could certainly make a case that Utah should be an underdog at home versus the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers, but I don’t see it that way.

The Lakers will be in Salt Lake City for their last game of the season with a real chance of their playoff positioning/fate already decided. If that’s the case, then expect L.A.'s core to get the night off.

The same goes for Denver in its second-to-last game of the year. The Nuggets will certainly have the No. 1 seed locked up with eyes on having a rested squad heading into the playoffs.

There are unknown moving parts that will change in real-time, but the way it stands today, the Jazz finish the season at 41-41, which is trending to be in the play-in tournament.

Stay tuned.

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