Predictions

The Jazz's catastrophic injury situation — three players out for the season including Kessler, Nurkic, and Jaren Jackson Jr., plus Markkanen and George out — leaves them with a shell roster that has zero composure or experience to compete with a battle-tested Cavaliers team fighting for playoff seeding, and the motivation/matchup chess here is entirely one-sided: Cleveland's veterans will impose their will on a depleted Utah squad with no answer at any position that matters.

Model projects Lakers -21.3 at home: a 48-26 Lakers squad with only minor day-to-day absences hosts a 17-57 Wizards team missing seven players including Anthony Davis, Trae Young, and D'Angelo Russell, creating a massive talent/health disparity that generates 4.8 points of value over the -16.5 line.

This is a classic trap game / inflated line spot — San Antonio is a young, inconsistent home favorite being asked to cover 18 points, a number that historically invites backdoor covers from desperate road teams, and the Bulls' frontcourt injuries (Collins, Essengue) are minor depth losses that don't justify a near-20-point spread against a Spurs squad that hasn't proven it can blow teams out consistently.