Utah Jazz vs. Philadelphia 76ers - Free NBA Pick

The Utah Jazz, who are 0-3 on their current five game road trip, will try to turn things around tonight when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers

Jazz vs. Sixers

The Utah Jazz, who are 0-3 on their current five game road trip, will try to turn things around tonight when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers’ opened as -1.5 point favorites with the total set at 198.

The Jazz were spanked in Boston losing 110-86 loss to Boston. It was the fifth loss in six road games for Utah, which hasn’t beaten a team with a winning record away from home since defeating Portland on Nov. 20.

The three-game losing streak, following losses at Washington and New Jersey, is the longest of the season for the Jazz. The losses to the Wizards and Nets, two of the worst teams in the NBA, were relatively close but the same can’t be said about Friday night’s debacle.

Sour note for Deron Williams

The glaring line from the box score belonged to Deron Williams. The Jazz point guard had a season-low five points. He made just one basket—his fewest in almost a year. The five spot ended a string of 48 straight regular-season games of double-digit scoring. Williams’ season-low had been the 10 points he scored against New Orleans on Dec. 17. However, he could bounce back tonight given his past history against Philly. Williams is averaging 27.0 points while shooting 65.6 percent from the floor, including 8 of 10 from 3-point range, in his last two meetings with the 76ers.

Utah is ranked 11^th in the league in scoring with an average of 100.8 points per game and giving up 98.7 points. The Jazz have allowed an average of 107.0 points during a season-high three-game skid. The Jazz haven’t lost four in a row since Jan. 21-27, 2009.

Philly looks to stop the streak

Meanwhile the 76ers will try to snap a long skid against Utah. While Philadelphia has kept games close lately, they haven’t been able to do so against the Jazz, losing six in a row by an average of 14.5 points. Philly though, has taken 11 of its last 14 at home while holding opponents to an average of 91.5 points over that span.

The 76ers have been playing at a break even pace lately with four SU wins in its last eight games. They’re coming off two tough SU losses but ATS victories in games they had great chances to win: a 99-98 OT loss to Orlando as a nine-point underdog and then a 100-97 loss to Charlotte as a 4 ½-point road underdog. Those two losses left Philadelphia at 17-25 SU for the year, but raised its record ATS to 26-15-1.

Hot trends

Philadelphia is averaging 97 points a game, while holding the opposition to 97.6 points. It has also remained closed matched in rebounds with an average of 42.1 per game while allowing 42.7. One thing this team has done a good job at this season is finding ways to keep the game close until the end, win or lose. Utah is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games overall but is 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games against the Atlantic Division. The betting odds ‘over is 19-7 in Utah’s last 26 road games. Utah is 1-4 ATS in its last five games on the road and 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in seven of its last eight games.

Philadelphia is 2-3 ATS in its last five home games and 4-4 ATS in its last eight games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ the basketball odds in seven of its last 10 games and nine of the last 12 have topped the high side. The Sixers’ are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games and 19-8 in their last 27 games.