Jazz 2015-16 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions

The Utah Jazz missed the Western Conference playoffs by seven games last season after posting a lackluster 38-44 record. Yet, the young squad showed enough promise down the stretch to believe they have a chance to make a stronger push toward the postseason during the 2015-16 campaign. 

Utah went 21-11 over its final 32 games. That equates to a .656 winning percentage, which would have been good enough to win the Northwest Division or claim the tougher conference's seventh seed if maintained over the entire season. That's why there's reason for optimism.

Let's check out all of the key details for the Jazz's upcoming campaign following the league's schedule release. The information is followed by a deeper dive into some key matchups and a prediction for their regular-season record.

2015-16 Details

Season Opener: Wednesday, October 28 at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m. ET

Championship Odds: 100-1 via Odds Shark

Full Schedule: NBA.com

Top Matchups

Dallas Mavericks

When: Friday, November 20 (in Dallas), Tuesday, February 9 (in Dallas), Monday, April 11 (in Utah)

The biggest games for the Jazz will be those against the other teams likely to battle for the eighth seed in the West. Amazingly, several of the squads at the top of the conference got even better, which leaves only one or maybe two spots up for grabs, barring injuries creating another opening.

Dallas could have moved out of that logjam if it secured DeAndre Jordan to slot in next to Dirk Nowitzki. Instead, after one of the most bizarre free-agent dramas you'll ever see, Jordan headed back to the Los Angeles Clippers and the Mavs will need to fight for a playoff berth.

David Vertsberger of Hardwood Paroxysm analyzed the state of the race at the outset:

Adding Wesley Matthews helps add more scoring punch but the biggest question is which version of Deron Williams shows up. They hope it's the game-changing point guard from his days with the Jazz and not the merely average contributor from the last two years with the Brooklyn Nets.

Given how close the race will be for the last spot, the head-to-head games between the teams involved will be crucial. The Jazz must improve on their 1-3 mark against the Mavs last season to bolster their postseason chances.

Phoenix Suns

When: Monday, December 21 (in Utah), Saturday, February 6 (in Phoenix), Thursday, March 17 (in Utah), Sunday, April 3 (in Phoenix)

The Suns are another team that should be heavily involved in the battle at the bottom of the West playoff picture. They are more like the Jazz than the veteran Mavs. A team with plenty of upside but it's unclear if they are truly ready to make the jump quite yet.

Adding Tyson Chandler should give Phoenix some much-needed stability in the middle. The team's postseason hopes still lean more heavily on further development of Brandon Knight, Eric Bledsoe and the rest of the rising stars on the roster.

Aaron Hefner of Salt City Hoops thinks there's enough talent to view the Suns as a legitimate threat along with Dallas:

"

2016 Playoff thoughts: 1. NOH isn't a lock for 7th seed 2. Suns/Mavs are better than Jazz fans think 3. It's gonna be a fight to the death

— Aaron Hefner (@Aheffy) July 21, 2015"

Quite frankly, it's unfortunate none of the teams fighting in the West were in the lesser Eastern Conference, where they could emerge as a true threat. One or two talented teams are going to miss the cut while less deserving teams likely make it in the East.

But that's just the way things are right now. If the Jazz are going to make the playoffs, they must continue to play like they did over the final few months last season, if not better. Taking care of business in meetings against the Suns would go a long way in reaching their goal.

Record Prediction

The Jazz are a more complete team than they were one year ago. Exactly how many extra wins that will translate into in a conference with so many championship contenders is the mystery. The margin for error is extremely thin.

Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors are the cornerstones. Rudy Gobert proved himself as a reliable post presence, capable of protecting the rim and rebounding. And they have plenty of depth, but they will need some of those secondary options to play like stars to make the playoffs.

Whether it's Dante Exum making major strides in his second season, Trey Burke bouncing back after a down year or a completely healthy, productive campaign from Alec Burks, there's a lot of promise on the perimeter. But there aren't any guarantees.

Will Laws of Sports Illustrated used win shares to project the standings for next season. He listed the Jazz in a tie for ninth place with the Mavericks at 41.2. Eighth place went to the Suns with 41.3, further illustrating the extremely close nature of the race.

So if Utah's perimeter players do take that next leap forward, there's a good chance it will be enough to push them past Dallas and Phoenix into the top eight.

So if Utah's perimeter players do take that next leap forward, there's a good chance it will be enough to push them past Dallas and Phoenix into the top eight.

Hayward said after last season ended that the team became more confident as the year wore on and he hopes that will carry over, per Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.

"(I'm) looking forward to putting in the work," Hayward said. "Another thing that's really different (this year) is that we finished the season really strong. I think all of us have a bunch of confidence going into the offseason. I think that gives you a boost in your work ethic and kind of makes you want to work even harder, so that way you can back next year stronger."

The future is bright for the Jazz, even if they end up falling short of the playoffs this season. It's a group of young, talented players that should continue to grow and develop over the next few years. But of course they would love to accelerate the process with a postseason berth.

All signs point to them remaining in the mix into the final weeks of the season. If they end on a high note like last season, they'll sneak in. Until it's more apparent what type of production they'll get from their guards, however, they are on the outside looking in by a narrow margin.

Prediction: 41-41