LA Clippers Gear Up to Face Utah Jazz in 2025-26 Season Opener

The LA Clippers are set to kick off the 2025-26 NBA season against the Utah Jazz on October 22, 2025. The game will take place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is part of a larger schedule featuring 12 matchups that day. The Clippers are coming off a strong previous season, finishing fifth in the Western Conference with a record of 50-32. They ended last season on a high note, winning nine of their last ten games.

In stark contrast, the Jazz struggled throughout the 2024-25 season, finishing at the bottom of the Western Conference with a disappointing 17-65 record. They lost nine of their last ten games, raising concerns about their competitiveness heading into the new season.

To bolster their roster, the Clippers made significant offseason moves, acquiring Bradley Beal after he agreed to a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns. Additionally, they secured John Collins in a three-team trade involving the Jazz and the Miami Heat. The Clippers also re-signed star player James Harden to a new two-year contract, solidifying their lineup for the upcoming season.

Game Preview and Predictions

The highly anticipated game is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on KJZZ, Jazz+, and FDSSC, with streaming available via FuboTV. The Clippers enter the game as the favorites, with a moneyline of -400, while the Jazz sit at +320. The spread currently favors the Clippers by 9.5 points, indicating strong expectations for their performance.

Historically, the Jazz have a slight edge over the Clippers in their head-to-head matchups, leading the series 116-89 over 205 encounters. However, the Clippers have enjoyed recent success, winning the last five meetings, including a close 120-116 victory in overtime on February 13, 2025. In that game, James Harden delivered an impressive performance with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, while Jazz center Kyle Filipowski contributed with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

As both teams prepare for the season opener, fans can expect to see key players on the court. The projected starting lineup for the Clippers includes James Harden at point guard, Bradley Beal at shooting guard, Kawhi Leonard at small forward, John Collins at power forward, and Ivica Zubac as center. For the Jazz, the starting lineup may feature Keyonte George at point guard, Ace Bailey at shooting guard, Taylor Hendricks at small forward, Lauri Markkanen at power forward, and Walker Kessler at center.

Kawhi Leonard has an over/under of 22.5 points for the game, having averaged 25.8 points per game in his last ten outings last season. On the other hand, Lauri Markkanen’s over/under is set at 20.5 points, with an average of 17.5 points per game in his last ten games.

As the Clippers prepare to face the Jazz, they bring an 80% win percentage into this matchup, compared to the Jazz’s 23.8%. Fans and analysts alike are eager to see how these teams will perform as the new season begins.