The Utah Jazz look to maintain their domination of the LA Clippers when the two teams meet tonight in Salt Lake City. Game time is 9:00 PM ET at EnergySolutions Arena. See which
NBA picks our handicappers are taking to their
sportsbook tonight.
The Clippers have won three straight overall, but have
just one victory in the last 42 meetings in Utah and have lost 15 in a row dating
back to 2003.
The Jazz have performed above expectations at this point in the year, and despite the Clippers current streak, NBA odds are favoring the Jazz tonight. Sportsbooks opened with Utah at -3, but early NBA betting action has pushed the spread to 4 and lowered the total to 190.5.
The LA Clippers (7-3 SU, 6-4
ATS) are coming off a
101-91 home win over the New Jersey Nets on Monday. Blake Griffin led LA with
23 points and 14 while Chauncey Billups, playing in place of the injured Chris
Paul, scored nine of his 20 points in the final 4:23 helping the Clippers hang
on after they nearly blew an 18-point lead.
Paul,
who suffered a strained hamstring in Friday’s win over the Lakers, is with the
team but is listed as questionable for the game. The Clippers are wafer thin at
the guard spot. Mo Williams missed his second straight game with a foot injury, while Eric Bledsoe is still 2-3 weeks away after undergoing off-season knee
surgery.
The Jazz (8-4 SU, 7-5
ATS) are coming off
an impressive 106-96 victory Sunday in Denver. Paul Milsap led the winners with
26 points and 12 rebounds while Gordon Hayward added 19 points. Al Jefferson
also had a double-double with 18 and 12 boards. Millsap is averaging 23.0
points while shooting 62.1 percent in the last four and has consecutive
double-doubles.
Utah
shot a sizzling 52 percent from the field (44 of 85) easily grabbing the cash
as a -10.5 point underdog. The Jazz who are averaging 94.7 points, has reached
106 in three of the last four games
Stat sheet
Billups
made all seven free throws against the Nets and is 47 for 50 from the line this
season (94 percent). The veteran guard from Colorado
U is third on the team in scoring (16.8 points per game).
Blake
Griffin has at least 53 games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds since the
start of last season, the most in the league during that stretch. Dwight Howard
and Kevin Love are tied at 51.
Not
that he’s anywhere near the end of the line, but Paul is averaging 18.6 points
and 9.9 assists and only three players in league history finished their careers
averaging at least 18/8 -- Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson and
Isiah Thomas. The Clippers and NBA bettors alike would are rooting for a quick return to the lineup.
Trends
There’s
been a decidedly Utah flavor to the series. The Clippers are just 1-9 ATS in
their last 10 meetings in Salt Lake City and are on a 2-9 ATS slide overall
against the Jazz.
Los
Angeles is 1-2 SU & ATS on the road this season while Utah has a home
record of 6-1 SU and 5-2 vs. the number.
The
Jazz have won four straight against the Clippers and 10 of 11 overall, sweeping
last season’s three games.
Harvey’s
Take: The Clippers are much improved and
have undergone a complete roster turnover since the losing streak started some
nine years ago. Still Salt Lake City is a tough venue for opposing teams and
that’s no different for Blake Griffin and company. The play tonight is on the
Jazz as they extend their streak to 16 straight wins over the Clippers.
Good luck!