Jazz vs. Spurs: 3 Best Bets

After having the Christmas holiday off, the San Antonio Spurs are back in action tonight against the Utah Jazz. Utah was expected to be among one of the worst teams in the NBA, but has won five of their last seven contests. Lauri Markkanen is making another All-Star bid, and Danny Ainge is allegedly trying to sell the Finnish sharpshooter while his value is hot.

San Antonio has lost four games in a row and might be without rookie Victor Wembanyama, who is still listed as questionable after tripping over a Dallas ball boy on Saturday. Zach Collins is probable, and Utah has Talen Horton-Tucker and Keyonte George both questionable.

As the Spurs look to avoid another massive skid this season, keep up with the lines and best bets from us, powered by SI Sportsbook.

The Lines

Point spread: Jazz -3.5 (-110)/Spurs +3.5 (-118)

Moneyline: Jazz (-158)/Spurs (+125)

Over/under: 241.5

Our Picks

Safe pick: Victor Wembanyama OVER 18.5 points (-118)

If Wembanyama plays, the Jazz don’t have anyone to stop him. John Collins is an uber athlete but is not defensive-minded or tall enough to stop Wembanyama down low. Walker Kessler is one of the better rim protectors in the league, but he doesn’t have the athleticism or lateral quickness to stop Wemby. Keep in mind that Wembanyama has been pulled from the lineup minutes before tipoff in games past, so I wouldn’t recommend placing this bet until the last possible second.

Opponent pick: Lauri Markkanen OVER 24.5 points (-118)

Markkannen scored 30 points in a win over Toronto in his last game, and he gives the Spurs a similar challenge to what Wemby gives Utah: no one on the roster can stop him. Unless Wembanyama is ready to prowl the perimeter and allow Kessler and Collins to gobble up rebounds, it will be Jeremy Sochan who is in charge of defending Markkanen. Sochan is a solid defender, but Markkanen has quite the three-point shot (38 percent) and can knock down shots from anywhere.

'Grateful and Happy': Spurs Give Back to Davis Middle School

Team pick: Spurs to win (+125) if Wembanyama plays

It’s really straightforward: Wembanyama has not played since Thursday, and Utah’s defense doesn’t have an answer for him. If he’s healthy, he should be able to will the Spurs to a win. If he sits, things get a little bit more difficult. We can only recommend placing this bet if Wembanyama plays, otherwise, Utah can attack the rim and run away with this game, exactly like how Dallas did earlier this week.