The Western Conference jumble is coming down to the final games, as seven different teams can move up or down depending on their finishes. Two teams currently in line for home court advantage in the West are the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers, but each could dip with a poor finish. Those two teams will face off in one of many critical matchups down the stretch.
Utah is playing really well right now, but Portland does have the better record and the home court advantage, so the Jazz will likely be the underdog. The Blazers are trying to shake out of a funk and pick up this victory to clinch the No. 3 seed in the West.
Utah has the chance to move ahead of Portland in the standings with a strong finish but could also lose home court advantage in the first round with a loss in this one. This game is big for both sides and will be an interesting clash of styles in NBA basketball betting lines.
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Odds Analysis
The Jazz are 47-33 straight up and 42-37-1 against the spread. Utah has covered in 21 of 40 attempts at home this season. The Jazz are 22-21-1 against the spread as the favorite this year.
The Trail Blazers are 48-33 straight up and 44-31-6 against the spread. Portland has gone 23-16-1 against the spread at home this season. The Blazers are 27-20-4 against the spread as the favorite.
Key Stat
Four. That’s the number of games the Jazz have gained on the Blazers in the standings over the past four games, and the teams are now even in the loss column. Utah has won five consecutive contests while Portland has lost four in a row after falling to the Nuggets last time out.
It’s not a huge advantage to be third or fourth. Both would get home court advantage in the first round and it’s unknown who the opponent would be because there is so much to be determined in the West. If both teams win their first round series, it is pick your poison in the Western Conference semifinals.
The No. 4 seed would have to face off against the Houston Rockets, who put together the best record in the NBA this year. The No. 3 seed doesn’t get a better draw as a likely matchup with the defending champion Golden State Warriors would await.
Even so, each team would prefer to have the No. 3 seed and should be playing hard in this finale.
Matchup To Watch
Each team has a dynamic young scoring guard. Portland’s Damian Lillard will be the most accomplished player on the court. He has always been good but has taken another step forward this season, averaging 26.8 points and 6.6 assists per contest. He is shooting 43.9 percent from the field and is nearly automatic from the free throw line, hitting on more than 92 percent of attempts.
The Jazz will counter with Donovan Mitchell. The impressive rookie is averaging 20.5 points per game while adding 3.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds. Utah has been offensively challenged at times in the past, and the departure of Gordon Hayward to Boston in free agency had people believing this team would struggle. However, the blossoming of Mitchell has given this team a big boost.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Portland Trail Blazers have the slightly better record and the home court, but Utah is the superior team. Take the Jazz to claim this victory despite playing on the road, which could open up the No. 3 seed for surging Utah.
The Blazers have a solid team but have cooled off after a post-All-Star break surge. Utah’s defense is tough and Lillard could be in for a poor performance. If that happens, Portland won’t have much of a chance to cover in NBA basketball gambling.
NBA Odds: Jazz 102, Trail Blazers 99
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