The Los Angeles Lakers will visit Salt Lake City on Thursday, December 18, to clash against the Utah Jazz. This would be the third time these teams will be up against each other in the current NBA season. Their past meetings saw the Lakers outclassing the Jazz to gain a 2-0 lead. In the upcoming game, the hosts, Jazz, will enter on the back of a two-game winning streak with their most-recent victory coming against the Dallas Mavericks. On the other hand, the Lakers recorded a two-point victory over the Phoenix Suns in their most-recent game.
Date: Thursday, December 18, 2025
Time: 9 pm ET
Venue: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
TV: Regional TV channels
Live Stream: NBA League Pass
| Recommended Bet | FanDuel | BetMGM |
| Luka Doncic O 35.5 points | -118 | – |
Luka Doncic is the leading scorer of the NBA 2025-26 season, dropping 34.7 points per game. He is shooting 46.0% from the field and 32.4% from the three-point range. In addition to it, he is also contributing 8.7 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game for the LA Lakers.
In the most-recent game against the Suns, Doncic dropped 29 points, and has had four 30+ games in the last five matchups. So far in the season, he has crossed the mark eight times. Moreover, if we talk about his average against the Jazz, the Slovenian has dropped 35.0 points on average while shooting 45.7% from the field.
Talking about the upcoming game, Utah has the second-worst defensive rating in the league. Moreover, even though the Lakers are currently struggling, they have always been far off better than the Jazz. Considering everything, we think Doncic is poised to score over 36 points on Thursday.
The Utah Jazz are coming off two consecutive losses, with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the most-recent one. With the victories, they improved their record to 10-15, and are currently in a position that leads to the play-in. The Jazz have maintained a decent offense, and they are averaging 119.0 points per game. However, they are struggling defensively and allow 126.1 points to their opponents. If they want to remain in playoffs contention, then the Jazz need to improve their defense in the upcoming period.
On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers, who started off as one of the hottest teams this season, are currently struggling with consistency. Currently seeded third in the league with an 18-7 record, the Lakers suffered three losses in their last six games. They are scoring 118.2 points per game, while allowing 116.7 points per game. It showcases that while they maintain a decent offense, the Lakers need to work on their defense if they want to remain in the top three of their conference.
As far as the upcoming game is concerned, the Lakers already maintain a 2-0 lead over the Jazz, and if Luka Doncic and LeBron James come up with a decent contribution, doing it for a third time wouldn’t be an issue for them.
Predictions: Los Angeles Lakers to win.
According to moneyline odds and betting spread on FanDuel, the Los Angeles Lakers are heavy favorites to win over the Utah Jazz.
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
| Los Angeles Lakers | -7 (-110) | -250 | O 242.5 (-112) |
| Utah Jazz | +7 (-110) | +205 | U 242.5 (-108) |
| Recommended Bets | Over | Under |
| Keyonte George 25.5 points | -114 | -114 |
| Lauri Markkanen 25.5 points | -118 | -112 |
| Jusuf Nurkic 9.5 rebounds | +116 | -154 |
Ace Bailey to score 15+ points: +100
Lauri Markkanen to record 8+ rebounds: +162
Jusuf Nurkic to record a double-double: +250
| Recommended Bets | Over | Under |
| LeBron James 21.5 points | -120 | -110 |
| Rui Hachimura 13.5 points | -102 | -130 |
| Luka Doncic 9.5 rebounds | +102 | -136 |
Luka Doncic to record 10+ assists: -106
Luka Doncic to record a triple-double: +230
LeBron James to record a double-double: +175
The odds given above have been sourced from FanDuel. Use FanDuel to ace your betting game across all sports.
The over/under for total points in the game between the Jazz and the Lakers is set at 242.5.
The Lakers have a solid 7-point edge over the Jazz.
The Lakers are favorites to win with moneyline odds of -250, while the Jazz are underdogs at +205.
Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.
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