Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs: Friday Night Predictions

• The Spurs will try to keep rolling when they host the Jazz on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
• Will Kawhi Leonard return in time to push the Spurs into the playoffs?
• Can the Jazz complete their four-game season sweep of the Spurs?

The Utah Jazz (40-31, 16-19 away) and San Antonio Spurs (42-30, 28-8 home) enter Friday night’s game at the AT&T Center fighting for their playoff lives. Utah has claimed the eighth seed in the West after winning nine of their last ten, while San Antonio is tenuously holding onto the sixth seed after a timely five-game winning streak. The two teams are separated by just one and a half games in the standings and desperately need a win with only 11 games remaining on the schedule.

As thrilling as San Antonio’s hot streak has been, the real intrigue around the team involves Kawhi Leonard. The two-time All-Star hasn’t played since January 13th, and has been at the center of a very un-Spurs-like maelstrom after opting for additional recovery time despite being cleared by the team’s doctors. Gregg Popovich has refused to speculate on when he may return, but even a diminished Leonard would give the team a huge boost. As good as LaMarcus Aldridge is, San Antonio badly needs a player who can create his own shot and consistently break down defenders.

Leonard is listed as doubtful for Friday night’s game, but keep an eye on the latest injury reports as his presence would give the Spurs a considerable advantage.

Leonard is listed as doubtful for Friday night’s game, but keep an eye on the latest injury reports as his presence would give the Spurs a considerable advantage. Without him they’ll have little chance of keeping pace with Donovan Mitchell, who’s averaging 25 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals in two games against the Spurs this season.

Ryan Murphy 2017-18 Season Stats

• ATS record: 62-37 (62.6-percent)
• SU record: 361-143 (71.6-percent)
• O/U record: 45-37 (54.8-percent) 

Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs Team Stats

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

Head-to-Head Results

Utah has owned the Spurs all season long, winning their first three games against San Antonio in 2017-18 by an average of 7.3 points. The biggest key to those wins has been fourth quarter scoring as the Jazz have turned on the jets in the closing minutes and consistently come up with clutch baskets.

If San Antonio can take solace in any of this, it’s knowing that they’ve managed to narrow the gap in each game they’ve played. They lost to Utah by 11 points on December 21st, nine points on February 3rd, and two points on February 12th. That definitely counts as progress and should give them a measure of confidence heading into Friday night’s action.

Notable Injuries and Absences

Straight-up Prediction

JAZZ (105-102)

It’s rare – and almost a little spooky – to find two teams as evenly matched on paper as the Jazz and Spurs. The two clubs have identical plus/minus ratings and defensive ratings, play at virtually the exact same pace, and are separated by just a game and a half in the standings. Statistically speaking, it’s almost like looking at a pair of twins.

Rudy Gobert has made life miserable for LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol with his length and athleticism.

However, their head-to-head results have been anything but even. Donovan Mitchell and Ricky Rubio have had their way against the Spurs’ ageing backcourt this season, and Rudy Gobert has made life miserable for LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol with his length and athleticism. If Leonard is unavailable, than the Jazz should be able to narrowly complete their season sweep and keep their hot streak going.

Team Trends

Additional SU Picks (March 23)

Jazz vs Spurs is just one of ten games on tap Friday night. Here are our other nine straight-up picks.