NBA Betting Picks: Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers
At one point this was among the biggest ‘marquee matchups’ in the NBA back when giants like Magic Johnson and Karl Malone roamed the hardwood. No more-the Utah Jazz are in serious rebuilding mode with a young and inexperienced nucleus. The hope in Salt Lake City is that the team can ‘get better by getting worse’ and land a top pick in the draft. Despite their lack of ‘A list’ talent the Jazz play hard on most nights and definitely haven’t packed it in. Things are much worse in Los Angeles where an injured group of aging superstars led by Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash have brought little to the team. Head coach Mike D’Antoni is on the hot seat but much of the Lakers’ problems really aren’t his fault-it’s just the ‘worst case scenario’ with a team built around aging superstars.
The Lakers enter this contest with only 5 SU wins in their last 18 games. They have done better against the spread covering 9 of their last 14-more a result of a betting market that wants nothing to do with this team and the resulting high prices rather than anything intrinsically encouraging about their play. Both teams are part of a three way scrum to avoid last place in the Western Conference. The Sacramento Kings are currently in last with Utah 1/2 game out and the Lakers one game out. There is always the hope that professional pride will motivate teams to not want to finish last but in the topsy turvy world of the NBA that’s never the case. Some teams even talk of ‘tanking’ games in hopes to get preferential draft choices.
In this matchup we’re left with two teams that no one really wants to bet on. Utah is a team that you can use in spots on their still tough home floor at the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City. We generally like the spunk we’ve seen from Tyrone Corbin’s team and think there’s more enthusiasm and upside with the young Jazz than the aging and banged up Lakers. We’ll take the Jazz plus the points and look for Utah to win outright.
BET UTAH JAZZ +2 OVER LOS ANGELES LAKERS