Utah Jazz: Predicting teams record for the final 28 games of the season

Home Games

As previously mentioned, the Utah Jazz will play 16 of the last 28 games at Vivint Smart Home Arena. They currently have a record of 20-5 at home. Utah has always been one of the more difficult places for opponents to play, and that’s proved true this year as well.

One thing that has me excited yet sort of worried at the same time is the fact that the Jazz will play five straight home games coming out of the All-Star break.

The five-game home stand will bring three non-playoff teams to Utah, but two extremely difficult match-ups against Houston and Boston are sandwiched in between there. Beating both of those teams would be fantastic, but even one would do.

I have the Jazz going 4-1 on the five-game home stand immediately after the All-Star break, with the lone loss coming at the hands of the Houston Rockets.

What worries me is the thought of the Jazz coming out of the break sluggish. Coming off a long break, they could lose all the momentum they garnered prior to the break.

After that, Utah will still have some tough challenges awaiting them at home, with games against the Lakers, Clippers and Nuggets looming. As also previously mentioned, load management may impact those games, but regardless of who’s playing, the Jazz need to lock in and beat some of these powerhouses.

Home losses against non-playoff teams like Cleveland, Chicago and Washington would be absolutely killer for this team. Thankfully, I don’t see any of those teams beating the Jazz at home, but you never know. The Jazz can’t underestimate anyone at this point in time.

In the end, I have the Jazz going 13-3 at home during this final stretch of the regular season, with losses coming to Houston, Toronto and Los Angeles (Clippers).