The Los Angeles Lakers have tumbled without the services of star forward LeBron James. The injury to their best player has sent the Lakers from among the top teams in the West to the playoff bubble. They are trying to weather the storm and will likely need to for awhile longer.
The Lakers have a tough matchup this week when they face off against the Utah Jazz. The West is still tightly packed and Utah is one of the teams on Los Angeles’ heels for a playoff berth. This game could have big ramifications down the line.
The Jazz is at home and has the superior talent so it will be the clear favorite to take care of business in NBA wagering.
This NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz will be held at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, January 11th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
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Odds Analysis
The Lakers have a record of 22-19 on the season, but that is down from the type of mark they had when James was healthy. Los Angeles has lost six of its past 10 games overall and can’t afford to keep losing ground the next few games. The Lakers have won nine of their 20 games on the road this season.
The Jazz has a mark of 20-21 on the year. Utah had higher expectations than that but has been inconsistent. The Jazz has only gone .500 at home, which is a disappointment and a surprise considering how well the team has traditionally played in Utah.
The Jazz is one of the lower-scoring teams in the NBA and Los Angeles could have trouble scoring consistently without James in the fold, which the oddsmakers will undoubtedly take into account in NBA gambling.
Injury Report
James injured his groin on Christmas Day and has been unable to return to the court. The Lakers are 2-5 in his absence, but did pick up a recent win over the Mavericks. James is expected to miss several more games so the Lakers need to strap in and find a way to pull off some upsets.
James is averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game on the year. He is shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from three-point range. Kyle Kuzma helped pick up the slack early in James’ absence but now he is battling an injury as well. Kuzma missed a pair of games with a back injury and was rusty in his return to the lineup against Dallas, shooting only 4-of-20 from the field.
The Lakers are glas Kuzma is in the lineup again but he needs to play better against Utah.
Player To Watch
Rudy Gobert -- The Utah center may be the best player on the court in this matchup. He is having a really nice year, averaging 14.8 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. Gobert is shooting a sparkling 65.8 percent from the field as he generally only takes high-percentage shots down low.
Gobert has the ability to affect the game on both ends of the court. If he can force Los Angeles into jumpers and score some efficient baskets, it could help the Jazz roll to the win.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Lakers were a lottery team before James arrived and are playing like one now without him. This is a tough game and Utah should not have much problem coming away with the victory. The Jazz should be under consideration to cover the spread as the Lakers do not have enough talent to keep this one close without their star.
The “over” should be the choice on the total because Los Angeles is not going to play much defense in NBA gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: Utah Jazz 117, Los Angeles Lakers 106
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