Ernie Johnson Likes the Utah Jazz to Win it All

Johnson's bold prediction on TNT is backed by ESPN's BPI.

On Thursday night, Ernie Johnson made a bold prediction on NBA on TNT. While recording the predictions for the rest of the crew, Johnson said he has Utah going to the finals. You can watch the segment below:

“Utah is going to the Finals.” 👀

EJ had to drop the pen after this prediction. pic.twitter.com/HNlxn1JhGb

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 6, 2021

Johnson's prediction surprised Kenny, Shaq, and Charles. ESPN BPI, however, agrees with Ernie's prediction. In the most recent ESPN BPI Playoff Odds, the Jazz have a 25.0% chance to win the NBA title - the best in the NBA. The Brooklyn Nets are second with a 16.8% chance to win the NBA championship.

According to ESPN BPI, the Jazz are heavy favorites to represent the West in the NBA Finals. Below are the NBA title odds of the playoff contenders out West:

Utah Jazz - 25%

Los Angeles Lakers - 8%

Los Angeles Clippers - 6%

Phoenix Suns - 4%

Dallas Mavericks - 2%

Denver Nuggets - 1%

Portland Trail Blazers - 1%

Golden State Warriors - 1%

According to Basketball Reference, the Jazz are heavy favorites to win the Western Conference:

Utah Jazz - 52%

Los Angeles Lakers - 2%

Los Angeles Clippers - 17%

Phoenix Suns - 15%

Dallas Mavericks - 2%

Denver Nuggets - 11%

Portland Trail Blazers - 1%

Golden State Warriors - 0.3%

Down the final stretch of the regular season, getting healthy is the top priority for the Utah Jazz. The Jazz have been without all-stars Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell over the last few games, and their timelines to return are still unknown.

The Jazz take on the Denver Nuggets tonight at 7:00 PM MDT.

Welcome to Inside the Jazz - the new Utah Jazz fan site on Sports Illustrated. Our site is currently under construction and the commenting capability is turned off. We look forward to engaging with you in the future! While we work on some exciting updates to improve your experience, you can ask us questions through one of our social media channels:

Facebook - Utah Jazz Sports Illustrated

Twitter - @Utahjazz_SI

Instagram - @UtahJazz_SI