Utah at Portland

Utah plays great defense and opens the season as a road dog. Utah plays hard for this coach and fell one victory short of a postseason spot in the rugged West. Utah acquired point guard George Hill from the Indiana Pacers to upgrade the backcourt, added veteran swingman Joe Johnson as a free agent and acquired veteran forward Boris Diaw from the San Antonio Spurs. Last season Utah finished second in the NBA in points allowed (95.9) behind the Spurs, plus #13 in field goal defense. Portland is a guard-oriented team that is weak on defense, #20 in points allowed last year, #16 in field goal defense, including #26 at defending the three-pointer. Look for a close one, so grab the dog and play the Utah Jazz.