Free NBA Pick: Heat vs. Jazz NBA Odds
Looking for Miami Heat vs. Utah Jazz free NBA picks & NBA odds? NBA betting sees the Heat taking on the Jazz on Saturday, December 31st, 2022 at Vivint Arena. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions like this Heat-Jazz matchup.
2022 NBA Handicapping
(18-18) Miami Heat vs. Utah Jazz (19-19)
Date: Saturday, December 31st
Time: 9:00 PM EST
Venue: Vivint Arena
NBA Moneyline Odds: Heat +135 | Jazz -148 (Bet Now!)
NBA Betting Odds: Jazz -3.5
NBA Betting Total: 224
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On Saturday, December 31st, Miami Heat and Utah Jazz will meet for the first of two scheduled matches this season. Miami will host the second game on March 13th.
Both teams are completing back-to-back sets and each lost their opener with the Heat falling 119-124 to the Nuggets while the Jazz dropped a 125-126 heartbreaker to the Kings.
Last season the clubs played twice with the Heat winning both contests. The Jazz holds the all-time record with 38 wins in 70 matches.
*Editor’s Note: Statistics and rankings are current as of this writing, Friday evening, December 30th. Numbers may vary slightly entering games on Saturday, December 31st.
Miami Heat
A somewhat interesting aspect of the .500 Heat is while they hold the sixth seed in the East they are one of two clubs (Pacers) in the East’s top eight with a negative differential.
In the loss to Denver, Tyler Herro led the way with a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds, plus five assists, and a steal. Bam Adebayo filled up the stat sheet with 22 points, seven rebounds, two assists, four steals, and two blocks.
Jimmy Butler offered an all-around effort with 17 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and four steals.
With the loss to Denver coupled with the Pacers win the Heat drop to seventh (tied with the Knicks).
Offensively, the Heat score 108.2 points per game (30th rank) shooting 45.2% from the field (26th) and 34.0% from the perimeter (24th).
Defensively, the Heat allow opponents to score 108.9 points per game ranking fourth. Miami opponents shoot 47.5% from the field and 36.2% from the perimeter ranking 20th and 19th respectively.
Nikola Jovic (back) was listed as probable and Caleb Martin (ankle) as questionable for Friday but neither played and since the injury report hasn’t been updated let’s assume they’re questionable. Dewayne Dedmon (plantar fasciitis) and Omer Yurtseven (ankle surgery) are out.
Utah Jazz
For the first time this season, the Jazz dropped to .500 with a loss in this match meaning they’ll enter 2023 with a losing record.
Credit to Will Hardy because this team has certainly bought into his message evidenced by a few original Jazz guys who didn’t play with the same grittiness under Quin Snyder.
Lauri Markkanen led the way with 36 points. He struggled from deep (1 of 7) with his lone make putting the Jazz up by one point with 1:03 remaining.
Ironically, Markkanen who shot 16 of 24 missed one shot from inside the arc — the one he took to win the match with two seconds left in the game.
Utah averages 116.9 points per game (4th) while shooting 47.0% from the field (14th) and 36.8% from deep (10th). Jazz opponents score 116.1 points (23rd) shooting 48.2% from the field (25th) and 34.8% from deep (7th).
The Jazz are fully healthy entering this match.
NBA Betting Trends:
- The Heat are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 0 days rest.
- The Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 0 days rest.
- Under is 4-1 in the Heat’s last 5 road games
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these teams.
Free Miami Heat vs. Utah Jazz NBA Prediction:
It’s amazing how vastly different officials call games from one day to the next. It’s becoming more annoying as the season progresses.
On one night a player can scream in the face of his opponent and nothing happens and the following night a player can “LOOK” at another player and get T’d up (see Grizzlies/Dillon Brooks Thursday versus Raptors — and Gary Trent Jr. Friday versus Suns).
Christmas Day, Jaren Jackson and Brooks couldn’t breathe near a Warriors player but in Denver, the Heat was given carte blanche to set moving screens, hold arms under the basket, flop, and foul each and every play (annoying but effective).
This Jazz team has some grit and former Heat player -Kelly Olynyk will have his crew ready for Miami. The bigger question is how the officiating team elects to call this match.
If they use a liberal whistle it favors the Heat and if not – – the Jazz – meaning it’s essentially a coin toss. So I’ll split the difference by taking the visitors and points but the home team to win (Cinderella West can’t begin 2023 as a losing team!)
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: Heat +3.5
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