The Toronto Raptors get set to clash against the red-hot and streaking Utah Jazz Friday night inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. They tip it off at 9:30 pm.  Bookmaker has installed the Jazz, a slight 2.5-point favorite. 

The Jazz (19-20) have been on a tear of late, winners of nine out of their last 11 games overall as they have steadily gotten back into the mix and now they sit just one game under .500 on the season. They have shown they can string together some wins here and there and now believe they can keep this pace up.

They are one of the more athletic teams in the league and they are led on offense by 26-year-old power forward Lauri Markkanen, who is netting around 26.a game and has averaged 30 a game in his career against the Raptors. 

He can run the floor for a big man and is very athletic as well. The Jazz like to get out and run in transition which makes them a dangerous team. 

Point guard Jordan Clarkson adds 17 a night and is in charge of pushing the pace. He has also had some big games against the Raptors in his career, scoring around 30 a meeting. 

The Raptors (15-23) have dropped three out of four overall as their record hovers below .500 on the season. Power forward Pascal Siakam is a nice veteran player who adds a ton of leadership on and off the floor for Toronto. 

He is averaging around 22 points a game and now he has some much-needed help in the form of recently acquired R.J. Barrett, who has been sensational since being dealt to Toronto from the New York Knicks.

In six games since coming over, he is netting around 21 a game and has clearly shown he is a great ball handler and legit scoring option for Toronto. He is exactly what the Raptors were looking for when they made the deal. 

Toronto connects on 55% from the floor, while hitting on 33% from beyond the arc too. They have some capable shooters out there and can make this a close game. Defensively they need to key on Markkanen and not let him get easy buckets. This has to be a top priority for them on the defensive side of the floor. 

If they win the battle on the boards that can win this game as rebounding is key. It will not allow the Jazz to do what they do best, get up and down the floor. 

The Jazz are 4-1 in their last five games and 3-2 in their last five games against the spread. They are also 10-12 in their road games against the number. The totals have gone over in two out of their last five games and nine out of their last 17 games at home. The Raptors are 2-3 in their last five games and 4-1 in their last five games against the spread. They are also 10-9 in their road games against the spread too.