1/4 Utah at Cleveland
5:30 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass
Opponent record: 8-29
Season series: Tied 0-0
The Jazz will see a 180-degree turn in their opponents from the first game of the week to the second as they’ll go from facing one of the best teams in the conference to one of the worst. The Cleveland Cavaliers have been an absolute mess this season, from the early firing of Tyronn Lue, to injury to Kevin Love, to a drastic lack of talent.
As such, they’ve only been able to put together eight measly wins thus far on the season, good for the worst mark in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs have lost six in a row leading up to this contest which just shows how much they’ve struggled.
However, the Jazz will be facing some familiar faces in this game as they’ll be going up against former Jazzmen Rodney Hood and Alec Burks, the latter of which was just traded this season for Kyle Korver. Considering that Utah moved on from both players, don’t be surprised to see both of them looking for a bit of revenge. That kind of situation for a team with nothing to lose can make for somewhat of a trap game, so the Jazz will have to be focused.
They’ll also have to watch out for Larry Nance Jr., who’s been playing quite well of late, Jordan Clarkson, who is the team’s leading scorer outside of the injured Love, and budding rookie Collin Sexton, who continues to improve in his first season in the league. Although the Cavs have some weapons worth watching out for, along with a likely determined Hood and Burks, I still expect Utah to come out on top quite easily.
This Cleveland team simply has too many shortcomings to be able to handle a team like the Jazz, especially considering that Utah will be coming in off of two days of rest. Expect a big-time win for the Jazz in this one.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 120, Cleveland 98