Utah Jazz at Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, December 20 looks like a mismatch on paper. Our ratings give the Cavaliers about a 88% chance, and the Jazz would need an unusual night to change that.
Why the gap is wide
The Win Meter reads the Cavaliers 88%, with a projected score of Utah Jazz 108, Cleveland Cavaliers 120. The rating gap is 252 points in favor of the Cavaliers, and home court and rest add about 100 rating points for the Cavaliers on top of that.
A reading this high has real meaning, but upsets of this size happen. Nearly one game in 8 like it goes the other way.
Recent form
The Jazz are 0-1 this season and 1-4 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -10.4. The Cavaliers are 0-1 this season and 0-5 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -17.
The Jazz's best recent win was 147-101 at home against MEM.
The Jazz were beaten 146-111 on the road by OKC not long ago.
The Cavaliers were beaten 130-93 at home by NYK not long ago.
Injuries to watch
Out: Jusuf Nurkic (UTA), expected back Nov 4, 2026, Trey Alexander (UTA), expected back Oct 25, 2026, Harrison Ingram (UTA), Khalifa Diop (CLE), and Nae'Qwan Tomlin (CLE).
Day to day or questionable: Tony Bradley (UTA). Their status can change before tip-off.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the Cavaliers lead 3-1, with the Cavaliers outscoring the Jazz by an average of 9.5 points per game. The last meeting was CLE 122, UTA 113.