Cleveland Cavaliers vs Utah Jazz Prediction & Match Preview - January 12th, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Cleveland Cavaliers will head to the stacked Vivint Arena for a matchup against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
The two teams met earlier this season, with the Jazz winning 109-108. Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points on the night.
Of all the totalities, the Jazz have had a wonderful campaign so far. They find themselves in the middle of a three-game losing streak. But the Jazz team are well equipped to return from this dip and will be keen to give it their all against the young Cavs team on Wednesday.
Many would have expected them to fail after Collin Sexton's injury. However, the young guns responded well and kept racking wins to everybody's surprise. Their last game was a narrow win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday. A total of six players from the team scored more than 10 points, which helped the Cavs get to their twenty-third win of the season. They will be hoping to take advantage of the Jazz's poor run and walk away with a win in this game.
Match Details
Fixture: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Utah Jazz | NBA Season 2021-22
Date & Time: Wednesday, January 12, 10:00 PM ET [Thursday, January 13, 7:30 AM IST]
Venue: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the most surprising teams of the season. This is probably one of the only seasons the team has looked like a playoff contender since the departure of LeBron James. They hold a 23-18 record and have shown a lot of promise for the remainder of the season. Young guns Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland are the pillars of the team.
These players have taken the responsibility of carrying the franchise ahead and look extremely focused on this task. Going up against the Jazz, the team will have to put on a good show on defense, as the Jazz have the best offense in the league. This game will be a big test for the Cavs team, but the young guns have never shied away from challenges and will put in their best efforts and get to a win.
Key Player - Darius Garland
Darius Garland has been an exciting player to watch this season, leading the offense exceptionally well in Sexton's absence. He is averaging 19.4 PPG and 7.3 APG in 35 appearances. Garland will be hoping to continue his good form in this game against the Jazz and help the Cavs further improve their record for the season.
Cleveland Cavaliers Predicted Lineup
G - Darius Garland, G - Lamar Stevens, F - Evan Mobley, F - Lauri Markkanen, C - Jarrett Allen
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz have been an offensive powerhouse this year. They also have a good defense, helping them to a 28-13 record this season. The team's recent run of defeats is due to the injuries they have suffered. However, with players returning, the Jazz will soon be back to performing as per their expected standards.
The game against the Cavs is going to be a tough one for the team. With the likes of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley guarding the rim, the team will need to be at their best in the paint and also keep firing three's to keep the offense moving.
Key Player - Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell won Western Conference player of the month for his brilliant performance in December. He started off in January with an injury but picked up from where he left off.
The 25-year-old had a 36 and a 31 point total in the two games after returning from injury. Although both scores were towards losing causes, his consistency is a huge positive for his team.
Going into this game, the Jazz will be desperate to get back to winning ways. However, to defeat the Cavs, the Jazz will need a big performance from their young guard, Mitchell.
Utah Jazz Predicted Lineup
G - Mike Conley, G - Donovan Mitchell, F - Bojan Bogdanovic, F - Royce O'Neale, C - Hassan Whiteside
Cavaliers vs Jazz Match Prediction
The Utah Jazz have gotten a bunch of their starters for this game after a layoff due to injury. This is a great positive for them as they will hope to get back to winning ways with this squad and continue their campaign. However, the Cavs will make sure that the Jazz will not have an easy time in this game. Any lapse from the team will be punished by the Cavs, but considering the experience of the players on the Utah team, they should be able to get the job done on the night.
Where to watch the Cavaliers vs Jazz game?
All NBA games will be available to stream live on the official NBA app. This game between the Cavs and the Jazz will also be locally telecast on Bally Sports Ohio and AT&T Sports Net.