The Golden State Warriors and the Utah Jazz, two teams outside the Western Conference playoff race, will meet on Tuesday night in the Bay Area.
The Jazz entered the 2024-25 season with no intention of competing, and to this point, they’ve done just that. Utah has remained anchored to the bottom of the conference for most of the season and is getting closer to securing the best possible lottery odds for June’s NBA Draft.
The Warriors, meanwhile, have not been so successful in their goals. Despite reshaping their roster around Steph Curry and Draymond Green this year, the Dubs have had a challenging two months, leaving them with significant challenges in the second half of the season.
With an NBA League Pass special on the slate this Tuesday in San Francisco, check out our Utah Jazz vs. Golden State Warriors predictions, including our NBA expert picks, with tip set for January 28 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Matchup Utah Jazz vs Golden State Warriors Overview
Teams: Utah Jazz vs. Golden State Warriors
Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Chase Center
Win Probabilities
The prediction tip for the winner in the game between the Utah Jazz and the Golden State Warriors is the Golden State Warriors.
Projected Final Score
Our predicted final score for this NBA matchup is Golden State Warriors 112-97 Utah Jazz.
Expert Prediction: Who Wins?
The Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz were linked throughout the summer as trade talks swirled around Lauri Markkanen. The Finnish sharpshooter was thought to be a sensible trade target for the Warriors, who were looking to retool for another playoff run while the Jazz cleared the books to tank.
A trade never materialized, with Markkanen signing an extension with the Jazz instead. Now, months later, it is funny to look at where these teams ended up. Despite their differing goals in the 2024-25 season, they are fairly indiscernible and separated by just a few spots in the Western Conference standings. Despite Golden State’s impressive start putting some distance between them and the Jazz, these teams are still quite close.
Why the Utah Jazz Can Cover
Under head coach Will Hardy, the Utah Jazz offensively resemble a less talented version of the Boston Celtics. They love to get the ball whipping around, force defenders into rotation, and break defenses down in the half court. What they don’t do is feast off turnovers, which is a boon to their chances here.
The Jazz average just 12.6 points per game on the fast break, which sits 29th in the entire NBA—behind just those Boston Celtics. That number is unlikely to suddenly spike, with Golden State frequently taking good care of the ball. Though its 14.3 turnovers per game are around league average, the ball movement the Dubs play with is naturally going to lead to a slightly higher turnover rate.
The Jazz’s offensive strategy of playing in the half court and forcing defenses into rotation is a great fit for this matchup. The Warriors’ defense is already downright terrible. They are currently 28th in defensive rating over their last 10 games and are missing both Kyle Anderson and Draymond Green.
Green is effectively the quarterback of their defense. In addition to leading on communication and responsibilities, his length helps make up for their small rotation. Despite his limited role in Golden State thus far, Anderson can significantly enhance a defense solely through effective communication and understanding.
Without either Anderson or Green in the rotation on Tuesday night, Utah’s offense will have a considerably easier time creating open looks in the half court against the Warriors’ defense. That may be all it needs to cover in a battle between two struggling teams.
Why the Golden State Warriors Can Cover
Despite not being the dynastic power they once were, the Golden State Warriors have maintained at least one character trait from their heyday. Even with Steph Curry, the last remaining member of the Splash Brothers, the Warriors shoot threes at an extremely high rate.
This season, Golden State has scored 45.9% of its field goals from distance, ranking among the top five in the league. Despite the lack of talent around Curry, it has remained an efficient deep shooting team, too, with the Dubs hitting 36.6% of their threes as a team. This puts the Dubs in the top 10 in the league and allows them to win every night due to their consistent commitment to the three-point shot.
Without Draymond Green or Jonathan Kuminga, the Warriors’ dedication to taking three pointers has to be as strong as ever. Fortunately for the Warriors, they have demonstrated this dedication in recent games. Over his last five games, Curry has taken an outrageous 54 three-pointers, with a 10.8 per game average, which is up on his season average. With Buddy Hield playing alongside Curry, Golden State will have no trouble hitting a high percentage of three-pointers in this game.
While Utah wants to grind this game down into a half court contest, the Warriors will look to egg them into a game of pace and space. A commitment to three point shooting is bolstered by extra possessions, and Golden State should get just that. The Jazz average 16.6 turnovers per game, the most in the league, and that high degree of lost possessions will help Golden State swing the game in its favor.
With great shooting and extra possessions, the Dubs should be able to hold off the Jazz on Tuesday night.
How to Make Utah Jazz vs. Golden State Warriors Picks
Ready to make picks on the Utah Jazz vs. Golden State Warriors matchup on Tuesday, January 28? Make sure to head over to Sportzino, where you can find every NBA game on the slate this weekend and so much more!
