I do know, I do know, you’ve been glued to varsity basketball for the previous 4 days — I get it. March Madness is presumably the biggest annual occasion in all of basketball. The buzzer-beaters, the upsets, and the countless stream of pure hooping goodness are all intoxicating. I gained’t deny this. Nor will I plead with you to tear your eyes away from the pinnacle of faculty basketball.
But with the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament coming to an in depth, the Utah Jazz are right here to fulfill the vacuum left in the days resulting in the Sweet 16. With AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson having performed their remaining minutes of faculty hoops, a thirst for skilled basketball might dry out the again of your throat.
At house in the Delta Center, NBA basketball flows like water.
One take a look at the Utah Jazz’s harm report main as much as their March 23 assembly with the Toronto Raptors, and my jawbone loses all construction, dropping to the flooring as the listing of injured Jazzmen spans for miles. Out for this matchup are Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George (hamstring twins!), Blake Hinson on two-way project to the G-League, and the apparent the rest of Jaren Jackson Jr, Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen, and Jusuf Nurkic.
So now the problem turns into uncovering who will play for the banged-up Jazz as the Raptors hope to defend their fifth-place place in the Eastern Conference on a visit to Salt Lake City. Utah, valiantly clinging to the second-worst file in the West, shall be internet hosting a youth showcase on the flooring of the Delta Center.
Keep an eye fixed on Utah’s rookie, Ace Bailey, who not too long ago posted a career-high 33-point efficiency and has violently caught flame amongst his fellow rookie classmates. The jumper is clicking. His protection is suave. The three-pointers are plentiful. Ace Bailey isn’t campaigning for rookie of the 12 months, however is it too late to think about a spot in the All-Rookie First Team? He’s hitting over 40% on very excessive quantity in the month of March.
With apologies to Andersson Garcia supporters, Utah opted to not provide the G-League star a second 10-day contract in favor of Kennedy Chandler, who likewise wears 0 with the Jazz, and loved a superb maiden look with the Jazz. 19 factors, 4 assists, and a steal is a superb stat line to catch the consideration of expertise evaluators at the entrance workplace degree and straightforward chair degree alike. But a really inefficient 33% subject aim price provides the former Tennessee Volunteer a transparent alternative for enchancment in opposition to Toronto.
On the subject of the Raptors, the guests from the North are much-improved from a season in the past. After ending 30-52 in 2024-25, Toronto is 39-30. Despite robust seasons from Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett (no relation), Scotty Barnes, and Immanuel Quickly, Toronto represents the “best of the rest” designation beneath the Finals contenders of Detroit, Boston, New York, and Cleveland.
These prehistoric beasts intend to gather their fortieth win with out a lot dialogue on Monday, which might push their file 10 video games above .500, and draw one step nearer to clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. An excellent turnaround for a workforce that whiffed on the Play-In only a 12 months earlier.
Toronto, largely wholesome, enters the Delta Center in opposition to the children of Utah, largely unhealthy. The Jazz are 2.5 video games above Sacramento in the tank race dumpster dive.
How to look at Utah Jazz vs Toronto Raptors:
Date: Monday, March 23, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM MT
Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Channel: Jazz+, KJZZ
Odds: TOR -12.5
Calvin Barrett is a author, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer positioned in Tokyo, Japan. He has lined the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
