The fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers will have to play with a sense of urgency as they look bounce back from their heartbreaking 97-95 Game 1 loss when they host the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz in Game 2 of their first round Western Conference playoff series on Tuesday.
Now, let’s find out if the perennially underachieving Clippers will get the outright win to cover the NBA betting line against a Utah Jazz ballclub that has plenty of hope. Find out more about the updated NBA betting odds here.
The Jazz placed four players in double figures in scoring in Game 1 and have now the clear-cut edge off the bench with Derrick Favors (15 points), Joe Johnson (21 points) and Rodney Hood (two three-pointers) all making significant contributions in Game 1.
Johnson nailed the game-winning shot on a runner in the lane as time expired while leading the Jazz in scoring. Gordon Hayward added 19 points and 10 rebounds while George Hill chipped in 16 points.
“I think it was very motivating considering the fact that he’s a big part of what we do, especially defensively,” Johnson said of Gobert. “I think we felt and knew that a lot of people were probably counting us out when he went down, but man, we stuck together, fought hard for 48 minutes, we had ups and downs, but at the end of the day we came out with a win.”
Utah also has an outstanding defense that led the league in points allowed. The Jazz limited the Clippers to just 44.4 percent shooting from the field (36 for 81) and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (8-for-24).
“It ain’t great, obviously,” said Paul, who scored 12 points in the final period. “In a seven-game series, they took home court advantage. It sucks that we lost, and to tell you the truth, we’ve sucked pretty bad here at home in the playoffs anyway, know what I mean?”
Another good reason to back the Clippers is that J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford will both likely play better after scoring seven and eight points respectively in Game 1ater both averaged double digits in scoring during the regular season.
First and foremost, the Jazz make scoring the ball very difficult because they play defense on every possession. Utah also has some very nice balance on offense and a handful of players that can put the ball in the hole even though the Jazz aren’t known as an offensive ballclub.
Utah has gone 5-1-2 ATS in their last eight games against a team with a winning percentage about .600 while also going 4-1 ATS in their last five games against teams from the Pacific Division and 3-1-1 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning record.
Conversely, the Clippers are just 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams from the Northwest division and an identical 1-4 ATS in their last five conference quarterfinal games. I like the Clippers get the narrow SU win, but the ATS cover goes to Utah.
Now, let’s find out if the perennially underachieving Clippers will get the outright win to cover the NBA betting line against a Utah Jazz ballclub that has plenty of hope. Find out more about the updated NBA betting odds here.
Here’s A Closer Look At The NBA Winning Favorites For The Jazz Vs Clippers Match
When: Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 10:30 PM ET Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California TV: TNT Live Stream: Watch NBA NBA Odds: LA Clippers -8 / Total: 202.5Why Bet The Utah Jazz Odds at +8
There are plenty of good reasons to back Utah (52-31 SU, 37-42 ATS) in Game 2 after watching them beat L.A. in Game 1 without starting enter Ridy Gobert no less.The Jazz placed four players in double figures in scoring in Game 1 and have now the clear-cut edge off the bench with Derrick Favors (15 points), Joe Johnson (21 points) and Rodney Hood (two three-pointers) all making significant contributions in Game 1.
Johnson nailed the game-winning shot on a runner in the lane as time expired while leading the Jazz in scoring. Gordon Hayward added 19 points and 10 rebounds while George Hill chipped in 16 points.
“I think it was very motivating considering the fact that he’s a big part of what we do, especially defensively,” Johnson said of Gobert. “I think we felt and knew that a lot of people were probably counting us out when he went down, but man, we stuck together, fought hard for 48 minutes, we had ups and downs, but at the end of the day we came out with a win.”
Utah also has an outstanding defense that led the league in points allowed. The Jazz limited the Clippers to just 44.4 percent shooting from the field (36 for 81) and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (8-for-24).
Why Bet The Los Angeles Clippers Odds at -8
The best reason to back the Clippers (51-32 SU, 40-42 ATS) in Game 2 is that they’re going to take to the court on Tuesday night with a sense of urgency after falling in Game 1. The Clippers got a team-high 26 points from Blake Griffin and 25 points from Chris Paul, but Grifin disappeared in the fourth quarter (again) and averages just three points per game in the final frame. Griffin was limited to two points in the fourth quarter and just six points in the second half. Chris Paul added 11 assists and seven rebounds and DeAndre Jordan contributed 10 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles.“It ain’t great, obviously,” said Paul, who scored 12 points in the final period. “In a seven-game series, they took home court advantage. It sucks that we lost, and to tell you the truth, we’ve sucked pretty bad here at home in the playoffs anyway, know what I mean?”
Another good reason to back the Clippers is that J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford will both likely play better after scoring seven and eight points respectively in Game 1ater both averaged double digits in scoring during the regular season.
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
While I really like the Clippers to bounce back and win Game 2 out of sheer desperation, I still don’t like them to cover the NBA betting line as an 8-point favorite.First and foremost, the Jazz make scoring the ball very difficult because they play defense on every possession. Utah also has some very nice balance on offense and a handful of players that can put the ball in the hole even though the Jazz aren’t known as an offensive ballclub.
Utah has gone 5-1-2 ATS in their last eight games against a team with a winning percentage about .600 while also going 4-1 ATS in their last five games against teams from the Pacific Division and 3-1-1 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning record.
Conversely, the Clippers are just 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams from the Northwest division and an identical 1-4 ATS in their last five conference quarterfinal games. I like the Clippers get the narrow SU win, but the ATS cover goes to Utah.
