Lakers vs Jazz Expert Predictions Ahead of Home-And-Home Miniseries

Feb 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) is defended by Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) in the first quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers finally return to Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night, after wrapping up their mildly uneven road trip with a 3-2 finish.

LA will kick off a home-and-home battle against a chippier-than-expected Utah Jazz (Lauri Markkanen and co. often perform competently at the beginning of the year only to be weakened by "injuries" by the spring.), and will have a five-day reprieve before touching down in Salt Lake City for a Sunday rematch.

Here are our expert predictions.

Who Will Stop Lauri Markkanen?

Alex Kirschenbaum: It's unclear, as of this writing, if LeBron James will actually return on Tuesday night and make his season debut against Utah. With or without James, the Jazz could be surprise the Lakers.

All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen has been taking no prisoners lately, sometimes almost singlehandedly leading the Jazz to surprise wins. The 7-footer out of Arizona has been averaging 30.6 points on .479/.389/.880 shooting splits, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists a night. Utah is currently the No. 10 seed with a decent 5-8 record.

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Los Angeles should not overlook the very real threat Markkanen's play represents. He can put the ball on the floor and get his offense pretty much anywhere, and has the strength and length to play at either forward spot. Rui Hachimura will likely draw the first assignment, but Jarred Vanderbilt could offer some support against Markkanen, too.

Can Deandre Ayton Keep The Party Going?

Alex Kirschenbaum: Ayton has been a bit trick-or-treat this season, which is fine for a third option on offense (fourth when James returns), but not ideal for the anchor of your defense in the middle. Still, he's riding high right now, having notched two straight 20-10 games (on 79.2 percent field goal shooting) to wrap up LA's road trip.

Will Los Angeles Take Down Utah?

Patrick Warren: The Lakers are heavy favorites at home against a sub-.500 Jazz team, however forward Lauri Markkanen has been a lethal scoring threat over the past three games, averaging over 40 points per game. After comfortably winning their final two games of a five-game road trip, the Lakers should handle the Jazz, but Markkanen will keep the game closer than the 12.5 points the Lakers are favored by. Lakers 131, Jazz 124.

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Nelson Espinal: The Lakers are rolling against teams they are favored to beat and the Jazz should end up going the same way. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have the offense humming. If LeBron James comes back for this game then the margin could get bigger. Lakers 121, Jazz 99.

Alex Kirschenbaum: The Jazz are fearless, scrappy, and have some surprising athletes in the backcourt, particularly Keyonte George. Lauri Markkanen's mobility could make him a defensive matchup problem for Rui Hachimura and/or Jarred Vanderbilt. Look for Utah to sneak a narrow win. Jazz 110, Lakers 105.

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.