- 1 Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers: an unbeaten Portland and a Jazz frontcourt missing Jaren Jackson Jr.
- 2 Utah Jazz: Keyonte George at 22.8 points, and the center minutes nobody has claimed
- 3 Portland Trail Blazers: 129.3 points a game and four different 20-point scorers
- 4 Free NBA Prediction: Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
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Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers: an unbeaten Portland and a Jazz frontcourt missing Jaren Jackson Jr. 
Damian Lillard’s three with 43 seconds left closed out a 136-129 win for Portland at the Lakers on Tuesday night. It was the Trail Blazers’ third win in three games, it came against another unbeaten team, and it gave Portland its second 3-0 start in 15 years.
The next stop that matters for this preview is Salt Lake City. Utah hosts Portland on Saturday 31 October at the Delta Center, tip-off at 3:00pm ET (1:00pm local), in the first of four meetings between the two Northwest Division teams this season.
Last season’s series went 4-0 to Portland. Only the first of those games was tight, a 136-134 Blazers win in Salt Lake City on 29 October 2025. The other three finished 137-117, 135-119 and 124-114, which means Portland averaged 133 points a game against this opponent.
Utah goes into its Wednesday night game against San Antonio at 1-3. The Jazz lost 123-103 in Memphis on opening night, edged New Orleans 120-119, then lost 132-123 to the Lakers and 110-105 to Memphis on the second night of a back-to-back. Saturday is the last game of a five-game homestand.
The bigger story for Utah sits on the injury report. Jaren Jackson Jr. tore a ligament in his knee against Memphis on Monday and will be re-evaluated in six weeks, Lauri Markkanen is questionable with a sprained right wrist and Jusuf Nurkic hasn’t played since preseason because of a foot problem. Jaxson Hayes is also questionable with a shoulder problem.
Portland has its own short turnaround to manage. The Blazers host an unbeaten Memphis team at 10:00pm ET on Thursday, then fly to Utah for an early Saturday tip. Neither team plays on Friday. Portland’s previous two games were both on the road, at Sacramento and at the Lakers, and it won both by a combined 15 points.
Utah Jazz: Keyonte George at 22.8 points, and the center minutes nobody has claimed 
Keyonte George has been Utah’s most reliable player through four games. He’s averaging 22.8 points and 7.8 assists on 53.7% shooting, 40.9% from three, and he opened the season with 22 points and four made threes in Memphis before putting up 19 points and 10 assists against New Orleans.
Jackson’s absence changes the shape of the rotation. He was averaging 16.3 points and had 24 points and 10 rebounds in the win over the Pelicans. With Nurkic out and Hayes questionable, Mo Bamba is the obvious candidate to start; he had 14 points, seven rebounds and four blocks against Memphis on Monday.
Ace Bailey is the encouraging part of the week. He moved into the starting lineup against the Lakers and has two straight double-doubles, the latest a 26-point, 10-rebound, three-block game against Memphis. His season line is 13.0 points and 8.5 rebounds.
Markkanen is listed day-to-day after hurting his wrist on Monday. He’s averaging 16.0 points but shooting 39.6% from the field, and rookie Darryn Peterson, the No. 2 pick, is at 11.5 points on 36.0%; Peterson went 5 for 18 against Memphis.
Defense is where the numbers turn against Utah. The Jazz are allowing 121.0 points a game and scoring 112.8. Against the Lakers they led 47-29 after the first quarter, committed 17 turnovers and still lost by nine, with Luka Doncic scoring 52.
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Portland Trail Blazers: 129.3 points a game and four different 20-point scorers 
Portland is scoring 129.3 points a game and allowing 110.7, a gap of 18.6 points a night. The opener set the tone: the Blazers led Phoenix 21-0, were up 72-39 at halftime and won 124-83.
Deni Avdija is averaging 22.3 points. He had 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists in Sacramento, then 23 points and nine assists at the Lakers, leading the team in scoring.
The backcourt is deep enough that four different players have already scored 20 in a game. Lillard had 25 with six threes in his first game back in a Portland shirt, Ja Morant scored 23 on 9-of-13 shooting at the Lakers, and Jrue Holiday came off the bench for 22 on 8-of-12 in the same game.
Through two games, Toumani Camara was averaging 18.5 points on 61.9% shooting, 52.9% from three, and Donovan Clingan is pulling down 9.3 rebounds a game. Head coach Micah Nori, hired in June, hasn’t lost a game yet.
Shaedon Sharpe is out after meniscus surgery on his right knee and Chris Youngblood has been dealing with an ankle injury. Thursday’s game against Memphis comes first, and Saturday’s trip to Utah opens a two-game road swing that continues in Denver on Monday.
Probable lineup Utah Jazz: Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen (questionable), Mo Bamba
Probable lineup Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan
Free NBA Prediction: Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers
Our prediction: Portland Trail Blazers to win
Utah’s best argument is the schedule. Portland plays late on Thursday, travels, and tips off at 1:00pm local time on Saturday, while the Jazz will have had two days off. Utah also led the Lakers by 18 after one quarter last weekend, so the Jazz can start fast at home.
I’d still back Portland, because Utah is without Jackson, possibly without Markkanen, and already allowing 121 points a game with a healthier roster. Portland scored 133 a game against this team last season, and the current group adds Morant and Holiday to that rotation.
Utah’s lone win so far came by one point against a New Orleans team that was 0-3 at the time. The Blazers have won all three games this season by seven points or more, including two on the road. Moneyline odds for Saturday weren’t posted at the time of writing; Portland to win is the pick.
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