Jazz vs Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in Utah tonight to play the Jazz in Donovan Mitchell's return. What are the odds, lineups and who will win?

The high-profile return of Donovan Mitchell to Utah would seem like a national television event, but before the season the Jazz were expected to be atrocious. There was a point in the season when the Utah Jazz were playing at a level equal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but as the Jazz have dropped off a bit the Cavs have continued to win. Tonight he makes his return to Utah, playing for the first time in front of those fans as a visiting player.

Action Network senior editor Malik Smith breaks down the matchup between the Cavaliers and Jazz, including his pick and prediction.

At 6-12-1 ATS, only the [Mavericks](https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/odds/dallas-mavericks) and [Warriors](https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/odds/golden-state-warriors) have been less profitable in this spot. [3-point prop](https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/props/3fgm) is set at 3.5, a number he has topped in 17 of his 36 games this season, including the previous matchup with the Jazz. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. According to [Dunks And Threes](https://dunksandthrees.com/), the Cavs rank third in Adjusted Net Rating (+4.9) and second in Adjusted Defensive Rating. They do a good job of defending corner 3-pointers, but are also middle of the pack defending above the break 3s, an area where the Cavs (specifically Mitchell) are dominant. I like the potential for a high-scoring game, but considering how good the Cavaliers can be on defense when they are clicking, I’ll pass on betting it. That could keep them in this game as the Cavaliers don’t defend the perimeter well. This season, the Jazz rank 27th in defense, according to Cleaning the Glass. When Mitchell is on the floor, he accounts for 34.4% of the Cavaliers’ points and Garland accounts for 26.2% when he’s on the floor. The Jazz have a defense problem: They generally don’t play any and when they do it isn’t very good. Prior to their road win against the Phoenix [Suns](https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/odds/phoenix-suns) Sunday, the Cavaliers were 2-5 straight up and 0-6-1 ATS and as road favorites, according to Bet Labs. It’s also the first home game for the Jazz, who are in the midst of a 1-7 stretch.

The Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. We continue our NBA odds series with a Cavaliers-Jazz prediction and pick.

Utah ranks third in scoring (117.7 PPG) and makes the fourth-most threes per game (14.5 3PM/Game). That being said, Utah has one of the most skilled big men in the league in Lauri Markkanen. Cleveland finds itself trending up whereas Utah heads in the opposite direction. Garland is one of the most consistent guards in the league and has a great matchup against a Jazz team that struggles to defend on the perimeter. Markkanen has exploded this season as the primary option in Utah. The Cavaliers allow the second-fewest rebounds in the league (48.4 Opp. Mitchell spent the first five years of his career as a member of the Jazz before being traded prior to the season. RPG) and the third-fewest points in the paint (45.4 Opp. His inaugural season with the Cavaliers has been fantastic, to say the least. PPG) and dominates the paint. The Cavaliers covered 53% of their games while 54% went under the projected point total. The Jazz covered 54% of their games while 57% went over.

Donovan Mitchell wasn't the best player in Utah Jazz history, but he undoubtedly made his mark -- his 23.9 points-per-game average is No. 5 all-t...

[SportsLine Daily](https://www.sportsline.com/newsletters/sportsline-daily/) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/sportsline?sub_confirmation=1) [and Mitchell is averaging career highs](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/daily-fantasy/optimizer/) in points (28.8 per game), field-goal percentage (.488), three-point field-goal percentage (.388) and free-throw percentage (.874). [CFB](https://www.sportsline.com/college-football/picks/#link=%7B%22linkText%22:%22right%20here%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22affiliate%22:%22%22,%22href%22:%22https://www.sportsline.com/college-football/picks/%22,%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22%7D#link=%7B%22linkText%22:%22CFB%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22affiliate%22:%22%22,%22href%22:%22https://www.sportsline.com/college-football/picks/#link=%7B%22linkText%22:%22right%20here%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22affiliate%22:%22%22,%22href%22:%22https://www.sportsline.com/college-football/picks/%22,%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22%7D%22,%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22%7D) [NBA](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/picks/#link=%7B%22linkText%22:%22right%20here%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22affiliate%22:%22%22,%22href%22:%22https://www.sportsline.com/nba/picks/%22,%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22%7D#link=%7B%22linkText%22:%22NBA%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22affiliate%22:%22%22,%22href%22:%22https://www.sportsline.com/nba/picks/#link=%7B%22linkText%22:%22right%20here%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22affiliate%22:%22%22,%22href%22:%22https://www.sportsline.com/nba/picks/%22,%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22%7D%22,%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22%7D) [NFL](https://www.sportsline.com/nfl/picks/#link=%7B%22linkText%22:%22right%20here%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22affiliate%22:%22%22,%22href%22:%22https://www.sportsline.com/nfl/picks/%22,%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22%7D#link=%7B%22linkText%22:%22NFL%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22affiliate%22:%22%22,%22href%22:%22https://www.sportsline.com/nfl/picks/#link=%7B%22linkText%22:%22right%20here%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22affiliate%22:%22%22,%22href%22:%22https://www.sportsline.com/nfl/picks/%22,%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22%7D%22,%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22%7D) Mitchell said he was flooded with emotions going against the team that drafted him: "It was weird. Mitchell also recently made some inflammatory comments about the city and fan base. One could argue both teams won this trade because the Jazz got all those future picks and Markkanen has had a breakout season, averaging 24.5 points and 8.3 rebounds, both team highs. It was widely expected that Mitchell would be dealt to the Knicks because of his New York ties (his father works for the Mets). Mitchell led the Jazz to the playoffs in each of his five seasons, finishing with the West's best record twice. 5 all-time in team history.