The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Utah Jazz on Monday night, with Cleveland entering as a 12.5-point favorite amid strong recent form. Utah aims to rebound from a blowout loss, but injuries plague both teams. SportsLine's model predicts a Cavaliers cover and under on the total points.
The Utah Jazz (13-25) travel to face the Cleveland Cavaliers (22-18) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on Monday, January 12, 2026, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. ET. The Jazz, fifth in the Northwest Division, recently suffered a 150-95 defeat to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. They hold a 5-7 record against Eastern Conference opponents this season. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers, second in the Central Division, secured a 146-134 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves that same day and are 8-5 versus Western Conference teams.
Injuries will impact both sides. For Utah, Georges Niang is out with a foot injury, Walker Kessler is sidelined for the season due to a shoulder issue, and Ace Bailey is questionable with a hip problem. Cleveland will miss Dean Wade (knee) and Max Strus (foot).
Betting lines from DraftKings Sportsbook list Cleveland as a 12.5-point favorite, with an over/under of 249.5 points. The moneyline stands at Utah +430 and Cleveland -585. The SportsLine Projection Model, which has simulated the game 10,000 times and boasts a 34-15 record on top-rated NBA spread picks dating back to last season, leans toward the under on the total. The under has hit in five of the last 10 head-to-head matchups, five of Utah's last eight games, and three of Cleveland's last five. Utah is 6-4 against the spread in its last 10 games, while Cleveland is 4-6.
Projections highlight key performers: Lauri Markkanen is expected to lead Utah with 23.6 points, alongside four Jazz players scoring 10.3 or more. Donovan Mitchell is forecasted for 29.5 points for Cleveland, with seven Cavaliers players reaching 13.1 points or higher. The model sees Cleveland covering the spread in nearly 70% of simulations, building on their six wins in the past seven meetings against Utah, including a 120-91 victory on March 23.
