The Cleveland Cavaliers (45-30) take on the Utah Jazz (29-46) tonight in Salt Lake City. These teams are set to battle for the first time in April and this is when things start to get serious. Playoffs are just around the corner, and Cleveland needs this win. On one hand, the Jazz already have lost all hope of making the playoffs. On the other, Cleveland is sitting in third place in the east, and only half a game separates them from the fourth-seeded New York Knicks.
The Jazz have cut the young guys loose. Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markannen have only played 1 and 4 games respectively out of the last 10 for the Jazz. It is now the Keyonte George and Taylor Hendricks show in Utah. In Cleveland, they are just starting to get healthy. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley are both healthy again and have played a few games back. While the Cavs haven’t looked quite right, they look to right the ship tonight.
Can Cleveland take care of business, and get a win right before playoffs?
Utah Jazz vs Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | MoneyLine |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | -12.5
-110 |
O 217
-108 |
-850 |
| Utah Jazz | +12.5
-110 |
U 217
-112 |
+575 |
| **Odds Courtesy of DraftKings** | |||
Utah Jazz vs Cleveland Cavaliers Game Details
-
- Fixture: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Utah Jazz
- Date and Time: April 2, 2024 @ 9:00 pm EST
- Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Apex Tale of the Tape
| Cleveland Cavaliers | vs. | Utah Jazz |
| 45-30 | Record | 29-46 |
| 112.6 | Points Per Game | 116.2 |
| 47.9% | FG% | 46.8% |
| 36.6% | 3PT% | 35.5% |
| 51.3 | Rebounds Per Game | 54.1 |
| 109.7 | Points Allowed Per Game | 120.6 |
| 46.0% | Opponent FG% | 48.6% |
| 36.5% | Opponent 3PT% | 39.7% |
| 13.4 | Opponent Turnovers Forced | 12.3 |
| 50.8 | Opponent Rebounds Against | 49.8 |
| 2-3 | Last 5 W-L | 0-5 |
| 100.7 | Team Pace | 103.8 |
Key Stats
Utah Jazz
As I mentioned, this Utah Jazz team is out of playoff contention, and they are now focusing on building up their young guys. Both Lauri Markannen and Jordan Clarkson are not playing in this game vs Cleveland, so expect Collin Sexton and Keyonte George to run the show. Collin Sexton has scored 20+ points in 11 straight games, and I expect him to be fired up against his old team. Keyonte George is also coming off a solid game where he scored 18 points vs the Sacramento Kings.
With their two best players out, I don’t expect the Utah Jazz to win this one. However, if they want to keep this game competitive, they are going to need all hands on deck. Guys like Taylor Hendricks, Ben Sensabaugh, and Walker Kessler are all going to have to play well. A big point in this matchup for the Jazz is Walker Kessler’s defense. The Cavaliers are a very good defensive team, so Utah is also going to have to stop the Cavs from scoring. Kessler averages 2.4 blocks and only 23.5 min this year.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs are fully healthy now, but they still ended up losing to the Nuggets two nights ago 130-101. Donovan Mitchell expressed some frustration after the game, saying that the Cavs need to get things figured out. Mitchell hasn’t looked right while dealing with injury. He has played 4 games out of the Cavs’ last 17 and scored 14 or fewer points in all of them.
Cleveland cannot afford to lose to a Jazz team that has already given up. for them to win they are going to have to play good defense on the road. The Jazz play very little defense, allowing 120.6 opponent points per game, so Cleveland should have no problem scoring. The defensive side of the ball is where they need to be excellent. With Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley both healthy, there is no reason the Utah Jazz should score more than 110 points.
Game Prediction
It’s tough to pick games like these. Games where the winner is fairly obvious, so you’ve got to target the spread. The spread in this game is 12.5, which is a large spread, especially for a road team. However, I think the Cavs are too hungry for this playoff run, and this win would keep them as the 3rd seed. The Jazz have lost 9 games in a row, but have stayed competitive at home. The Utah Jazz have lost 26 games by 13 points or more. of those 26 games, only 6 of them were at home in Salt Lake City.
Final Pick
Utah Jazz +12.5 (-110)
About the Author
Caden is a massive sports fan and has been following the professional leagues for as long as he can remember. His main sports are NFL and NBA, but he watches and can talk about all sports. If you want more great sports insight or are looking for sports betting advice, follow Caden on Twitter @CadenBahry. Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
