Jazz 2024-25 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions

After missing the playoffs the past two seasons, the Utah Jazz head into the 2024-25 season still in the rebuilding stage.

Utah hasn't found much success since the departure of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, but a young core centered around star Lauri Markkanen has potential. How quickly the Jazz will live up to that potential could be determined this year.

It was a quiet offseason for Utah, with its biggest additions being draft picks Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski, so the Jazz seem set on working with who they have.

Much of the offseason revolved around whether the Jazz would trade Markkanen, but they ultimately kept him around as they look to continue building around the All-Star-caliber player.

Ahead of Utah's campaign, here's a look at the Jazz's schedule, some key games and an outlook on how the year could unfold.

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2024-25 Jazz Schedule Details

Season Opener: Wednesday, Oct. 23: 9 p.m. ET vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Championship Odds: +100000 (bet $100 to win $100,000) per FanDuel

Full Schedule: The full schedule is available on NBA.com.

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Top Matchups

Houston Rockets

The Jazz developed a competitive rivalry with the Rockets in the 1990s when the two teams battled it out in the Western Conference to decide who would face (and lose) to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.

The matchup rekindled its flame when Utah faced the James Harden-led Rockets in the playoffs a handful of times when the two were upper-tier Western Conference teams.

A few years later, the two teams are far from what they once were, but the rivalry regained some intensity last season. Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. and Jazz's Kris Dunn got into scuffles two times throughout the year, one so heated it left the two players suspended.

Though Dunn no longer plays for Utah, there could be some bad blood left over.

Aside from the drama on the court, this could be a decisive game in terms of the playoff race. The Rockets and Jazz finished 11th and 12th in the Western Conference, respectively, last year, and it's likely they'll be in similar positions this year.

If Utah and Houston are within the race for a play-in tournament bid, the head-to-head matchups could come into play.

Minnesota Timberwolves

It always feels good to beat the best team in your division, right?

The Minnesota Timberwolves will have a target on their back after reaching the Western Conference Finals a year ago, and the Jazz will be looking to get a few upset wins.

While this game likely won't be a primetime matchup given the gap in talent, Utah will be treating it as such.

There seems to be no bad blood between Wolves' center Rudy Gobert and his former team, but Jazz fans are likely hoping to prove they are doing just fine without him. A win could help their case.

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Season Forecast

While the Jazz could sneak into the playoffs, this year should mostly be looked at as developmental. Utah has a historically good track record of developing young pieces into a playoff-contending group, and this season could be one step toward that.

The Jazz will hope to get a big year from Markkanen, who averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season, a minor step back from his All-Star season two years ago. Should he up his game to the All-NBA level, it could be enough for Utah to earn a playoff bid.

From there, the Jazz pretty much know what they will get out of wings Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton. The two were reliable second and third options last year and should be the same this year barring injury.

One of the biggest question marks will be what kind of leap third-year center Walker Kessler will make. The former first-round pick emerged as one of the best shot blockers last season, swatting 2.4 shots per game, and was also a mostly reliable rebounder, averaging 7.5 boards. If Kessler can round out his offensive game this year, he could be dangerous.

Another promising young player, Keyonte George, could be due for a second-year jump. The 16th pick in the 2023 draft put up 13 points and 4.4 assists per game while getting acclimated in the league. He needs to work on his efficiency as he shot just 39.1 percent from the field, but expect a big year from George.

Last season marked Utah's lowest win total in a decade, but the same shouldn't happen this year. The Jazz aren't going to be Finals contenders, but some minor improvements should be in store.

Record Prediction: 39-43