There is only one series that has gone the distance in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Los Angeles Clippers will host the Utah Jazz in Game 7 of their Western Conference matchup with a berth in the second round on the line.
This has been a back-and-forth series, with each team proving capable of winning on the other team’s home floor. The Clippers have the home court in the deciding game and hope that will spur them to the victory. However, Los Angeles is missing star forward Blake Griffin due to injury.
The Jazz missed out a chance to close this series out at home but shouldn’t be counted out in this matchup, as it is expected to be competitive.
This war on the floor will go down Sunday, April 30, 2017, at 3:30 p.m. ET at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The game will be televised live on ABC.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Saturday schedule.
NBA Odds
The Jazz were six-point favorites at home in Game 6, which is a pretty solid favorite as the lower seed. However, the Clippers went to Salt Lake City and took care of business with a 98-93 win, easily covering and paying off handsomely those who selected them on the moneyline. The scoring total was set at 195, and the “under” was the correct choice.
The Clippers have improved to 54-34 straight up and 42-45-1 against the spread. Los Angeles has gone 21-22-1 against the spread at home this season and would love to add another cover because it would likely mean a berth in the second round. The Clippers are 28-33-1 against the spread as the favorite this season and 13-12 trying to cover as the underdog.
The Jazz are 54-34 straight up and 41-44-3 against the spread. Utah has covered in 21 of 44 games on the road this season. The Jazz are 29-27-3 against the spread as the favorite and has covered in 12 of 29 attempts as the underdog.
Last Time Out
Chris Paul had 29 points and eight assists to lead the Clippers to the upset victory. The game was tight at the half before Los Angeles used a strong third quarter to take control. The Clippers shot 49 percent from the field and held Utah to only 41 percent.
The Clippers shot 42 percent from three-point range and four different players either scored 12 or 13 points on the night to give Paul some help. Gordon Hayward had 31 points while George Hill added 22 for the Jazz, but the rest of the team didn’t help out enough.
Utah likes to slow the game down, but it couldn’t get enough going in the halfcourt. Joe Johnson has been a revelation this series but had only nine points on 3-of-9 from the floor.
Injury Report
Injuries have played a huge role in this series. Griffin, Clippers guard Austin Rivers, Hayward and Jazz forward Rudy Gobert have all missed time with various ailments. Griffin is done for the season but the other three should be available in this critical matchup.
Rivers has returned for the past two games and had 13 points on 5-of-10 from the field, including three 3-pointers, in Game 6. He should be able to play as many minutes as needed in Game 7, and is a key piece on offense.
The presence of Gobert and Hayward should give Utah confidence it can pull off the upset.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The Jazz missed out on a golden opportunity to win this series at home, and now the momentum has swung back in favor of the Clippers. Los Angeles has the best player on the court in Paul, but the Jazz have the superior depth.
It’s not easy hitting the road for a Game 7, but the Jazz should be able to win this game, taking advantage of Griffin’s absence.
NBA Odds: Jazz 101, Clippers 99
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