Utah Jazz 2024-25 Season Preview, Betting Odds

From finishing with the best record in the Association in 2020-21 to now bringing up the rear in the Western Conference, the collapse of the once dominant Utah Jazz has taken several years and left the front office scrambling for answers. 

This 2024-25 season preview dissects all betting odds for the Jazz for what could end up being one of the worst campaigns in franchise history.

Utah Jazz's 2024 Offseason Acquisitions 

Utah Jazz's 2024 Offseason Departures

Utah Jazz's 2025 NBA Championship, Western Conference, Northwest Division Betting Odds

Odds as of October 18, 2024 at FanDuel

A five-year, $238-million contract extension for All-Star forward and former Most Improved Player winner Lauri Markkanen reaffirms him as the Jazz's leading man moving forward, even after missing 27 games in 2023-24 and 16 games the year prior. It's a team-friendly deal which creates more financial flexibility during the latter stages, which will be incredibly value when the cap inevitably rises, yet Salt Lake City has never been a destination for high-profile free agents, so what becomes of those extra funds remains to be seen. 

Utah finished dead last in defense allowing 119.6 points per 100 possessions, and that's with Walker Kessler ranking second overall in rejections (2.4 per game) manning the middle. It wasn't all bad, though, as there was a stretch from Dec. 13 through Jan. 15 where the Jazz went 15-4 to move above the .500 mark. Losing 25 of their last 30 games is what did Utah in, ensuring it at least a top-10 pick that was used on Colorado's Cody Williams.

Best Bet: None

You can certainly look at the glass being half full and say that aforementioned 15-4 run was a sign of what the Jazz can be capable of. Or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, those final months were incredibly miserable and highlighted a roster which has some offensive weapons, but couldn't stop a soul from scoring the basketball.

Both Markkanen and Kessler had down years, with Kessler now being bantered about in trade rumors, which would hinder Utah's defense even further if a move manifested. There's an abundance of young talent who could eventually develop into something special like Williams, Keyonte George, and Taylor Hendricks, just to name a few, but it's going to take some time for that core to mesh and become something capable of making a dent, if that's its trajectory in the first place.

Like the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah is chilling in the basement with the worst possible betting odds in the Western Conference and the Northwest Division. There's zero value to be had here in any of these futures unless you enjoy donating funds to sportsbooks. 

Utah Jazz's 2024-25 NBA Win Total, Make Playoffs Odds

Odds as of October 18, 2024 at FanDuel

The Jazz's .378 winning percentage in 2023-24 marked the franchise's worst since 2013-14 when the team finished with a 25-57 record (.305). It was also the second year in a row that Utah failed to qualify for the playoffs after having clinched a berth every year from 2017 through 2022.

Best Bet: UNDER 27.5 Wins, -110

Defense will continue to be a giant red flag, and until that shows some glimmer of improvement, wins will extremely limited and therefore send Utah back into the lottery.

The strength of next summer's class is a light at the end of the tunnel, but from a sheer betting perspective, this season could end up being a mirror image of last where there's spurts of greatness prior to the team caving in on itself. 

Utah Jazz's 2024 NBA Cup Odds

Odds as of October 18, 2024 at FanDuel

The Jazz finished the inaugural in-season tournament with a respectable 2-2 record in West Group A. They enter the 2024 Cup with the worst odds to emerge from West Group B, which is currently led by the Oklahoma City Thunder at +115. 

Utah Jazz's 2024-25 NBA Awards Odds

Odds as of October 18, 2024 at FanDuel

Best Bet: Jordan Clarkson For NBA Sixth Man Of The Year, +2400

Jordan Clarkson already has a Sixth Man of the Year trophy on his mantle as the 2020-21 recipient, and could become just the sixth player to ever win it twice. Even with Utah's shortcomings, the 32-year-old backup remains in the conversation with the eighth-best odds as things stand. 

Across his 55 appearances this past season, Clarkson averaged 17.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and five assists while shooting a career-low 41.3 percent from the field. His scoring production surely would have earned him some skin in the voting department, but he failed to meet the eligibility criteria by suiting up for 10 fewer games than what was required.

Being at 24-to-1 offers a strong payout if Clarkson can once again put up huge numbers, but he'll need to stay healthy and that's something he hasn't shown he can do over the last two years, and that hurts with the league's new requirements for end-of-season hardware. His chances will ultimately depend on that.

2024-25 NBA Team Previews, Betting Odds