NBA: Toronto Raptors VS Utah Jazz Pick and Predictions 02/01/2023

Game: 9:10 PM ET,  Wednesday, February 1st, 2023

Venue:  Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

TV: NBA League Pass

Raptors: 23-29, 12th place Eastern Conference

Jazz: 26-26, 10th place Western Conference

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Jazz -3.5, O/U 230.5

PointsBet: Point Spread: Jazz -3, O/U 230.5

Fanduel: Point Spread: Jazz -3, O/U 230.5

Raptors: PG Fred Van Vleet, SG Gary Trent JR, SF Scottie Barnes, PF Pascal Siakam, C Precious Anchiuwa

Jazz: PG Mike Conley, SG Jordan Clarkson, SF Lauri Markkanene, PF Kelly Olynyk, C Walker Kessler

An NBA inter conference matchup that is eerily on thin ice.  The Raptors in the East will be heavily considering 100 trade options that could lead to picks, players, building around Scottie Barnes, getting rid of their best player Pascal Siakam, moving money but not geting picks.. Whatever.. It is all in the air.  That is what happens when your roster is much better than your record and the time to make decisions is now.  The Utah Jazz may make a move at the deadline… but it will only be one or two.  The Jazz have PG Mike Conley who is only worth anything to a couple of contenders that need a point guard… what is that worth?  What could the Lakers do at this point if they had Conley and Hachimura, and Lebron and Anthony Davis… OH a lot?!! Well Mike Conley may be on the move.  He is worth something to a few others too… and occasionally you see a guy like Conley stay to expire while the team moves a couple bench players and a pick.  Occasionally you see lots of things.  However both these teams will have ringing phones over the next few days. These teams have similar records but dissimilar rosters… the great betting opportunity will be found on the injury list.  Wait and we will check the numbers.

The Toronto Raptors 4 of their last 10 games.  They have gone 5-5 ATS during that stretch.  They lost their last game to the Phoenix Suns 114-106.  In their last game they got 24 points from PG Fred Van Vleet with 9 assists.  It did no good.  They tried playing with Precious Anchiuwa at Center even though he is an undersized power forward and they got 11 points and 12 rebounds out of him.  That opened up PF Pascal Siakam to actually play Power Forward… no one noticed as he had 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist.  The player we are all waiting for is SF Scottie Barnes, who should be playing point guard, and he had 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in 35 minutes. It was all a wash in a loss.

AAA Sports is 7-2 in NBA picks the last 7 days for a profit of $4,800!! You should be following a handicapper all season long! Get Doc’s Sports picks right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers. BigAl.com can help you with all your bets from NCAAF, NFL, MLB, NHL… get positive value from all your bets! Remember: winning a bet is way more fun than making a bet!

The Raptors are 21st in scoring with 112.8 points per game, 18th in rebounds with 42.6 per game.  On defense they rank 10th in defense of points thanks to Pascal, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes… with 112.3 points allowed per game… yet being only +0.5 points per game will not win you very many games.

The Utah Jazz are 4th in scoring with 117.5 points per game, 10th in rebounds with 44.3 per game. On defense they rank 21`st in points allowed while holding teams to 116.3 points per game. At +1.2 points per game they do win basketball games… but not a ton of them. This team briefly tasted first place in the Western Conference but are now 10th.

Our prediction for Wednesday, February 1st is…. Raptors 112- Jazz 108

Bet on the Raptors.  They have too much even for as losing team.

Don't miss our champion handicappers' Free NBA Picks and Premium Selections every day here at Bigal.com. Just click on Shop Picks for our Raptors/Jazz Best Bets, or click on Shop Subscriptions to join for a week or a month. And if you enjoyed this  preview, be sure to bookmark Bigal.com for our daily Game Previews and Predictions.  Get help with all your college football picks, National Football league, NCAA brackets, or any prop bets on your season schedule. 

Toronto is 14-9 ATS versus Uath in Utah since 1996.

Toronto is 4-12 ATS in games where the total is 220 or greater this season.

Utah is 14-5 ATS after 1 or more consecutive UNDERS.

Utah is 2-8 ATS as a home favorite of 6 points or less.

Raptors: OF Pascal Siakam.  Pascal is a rare player.. He is a top flight NBA power forward who is playing out of his mind at Center because his team has no true centers. How much higher could he go if he were a power forward again?  The guy is the remnants of an old idea… “we have a Championship winning  roster let’s keep pushing!” In today’s NBA you have to move anytime it is not working or you die.  Whether Pascal stays or goes?... He is still the best Raptor not named Scottie Barnes.

Jazz: C Walker Kessler.  Available at the 22nd pick of last year’s NBA Draft first round.. Walker has 9-15 NBA GM’s kicking themselves.  Walker is 7’2.. He blocks shots and gets rebounds.  He has the size and skill to put in second chance points AFTER putting in first chance points! In his last game, which was a win, he logged 25 points & 11 rebounds…Oh and also next season there will be a rookie in the league by the name of  Victor Wembanyama… He will be 7’4… and every NBA team will be looking for a way to defend him.  My money is on 25 & 11 from a 7’2 monster in Utah OR a 7’3 monster in OKC.  Those bodies will be in high demand.

Raptors: Nick “what is happening?” Nurse

Jazz: Will “Hardly” Hardy