Utah Jazz 2017-18 Week 19 Outlook, Predictions

The Utah Jazz will look to extend their winning streak to 13 games as they return to action in the first week following the All-Star break.

The Utah Jazz entered the All-Star break as the hottest team in the league as they rattled off an awe-inspiring 11 straight wins which included victories over the likes of the Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs (twice). While that surge didn’t propel them out of 10th place in the West, it narrowed the gap significantly and has put them in a great spot to close out the season strong and make a push for the playoffs.

They earned wins number 10 and 11 of the streak by defeating both the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns in Week 18, just as I predicted they would. That put my season-long projections record at 28-30, while the Jazz elevated their record to an even better 30-28.

However, with the All-Star break interrupting what’s been a nearly flawless run for the Jazz, they’ll have to dig deep to get back in the swing of things and make a return to their winning ways in Week 19 of the 2017-18 season. After having most of the week off, the Jazz will play in just two contests this week – against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday and the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday in a rare home back-to-back set.

Utah recently toppled Portland on the road as part of their 11-game win streak, but it wasn’t easy and surely won’t be even on their home court against the magnificent backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Meanwhile, the dismal Dallas Mavericks find themselves at second to last in the Western Conference as they just continue to slide.

Still, they have the talent and experience to surprise teams if given the chance, so the Jazz can’t afford to suffer from a post-All-Star break hangover. As Utah aims to extend their winning streak to 13 in a row, let’s take a deeper look at what to expect in each of these two upcoming bouts.