It is clear by now that some pretty worthy teams in the Western Conference are going to be left out of the playoffs at the end of the year. The Utah Jazz is hoping it won’t be one of them. A recent skid has dropped the Jazz down the standings and the team will aim to turn it around in a Christmas Day matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Portland is currently sitting with the fifth-best record in the West but there are a bunch of teams lumped together and must continue to rack up victories. The Trail Blazers have been the better team this season but the Jazz has the benefit of the home court advantage.
This figures to be a competitive showdown and one both badly wants to win to improve its standing in the Western Conference in NBA gambling.
This NBA basketball game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz will be held at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah at 10:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 25th, 2018. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
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Odds Analysis
The Blazers have a record of 18-13 on the season. They have not done a great job on the road with six wins in 15 attempts. Portland has won three straight games which has helped it move up the standings but a lot of teams are still close so an upset win here would be welcome.
The Jazz is 15-17 on the season. Utah has not been dominant at home this year which is a surprise. The Jazz are only 6-6 in Utah and that must improve if this team has designs of moving back into the playoff picture. The Jazz has traditionally had a nice home court advantage and a slow start shouldn’t dissuade bettors from backing them in NBA gambling.
Matchup To Watch
Damian Lillard vs. Donovan Mitchell -- Each team has a shooting guard which will be key in this game. Lillard, Portland’s star, is averaging 27.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He is shooting 45 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from three-point range.
Mitchell, Utah’s leading scorer, is averaging 20.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals per contest. He is shooting only 41.1 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from three-point range. Utah doesn’t have a lot of playmakers and Mitchell is the main one. He needs to become more efficient from the floor if the Jazz has any hope of making big gains the rest of the season.
Scheduling Situation
These teams have yet to face each other this season but will get to know each other well over the next five weeks. The Blazers will host the Jazz just four days before this game in Portland before they head back to Utah for this matchup on Christmas.
There will be two more head-to-head matchups in January. The Blazers and Jazz are pretty close in talent level and could end up close to each other in the standings. These games are critical for both sides and if either can win three of the four games it would be a nice boost in the race for the playoffs.
Free NBA ATS Picks
These two teams have different styles but this should be a competitive matchup. Utah is in a good spot because of the home court advantage. The Jazz can’t afford to lose games like this and it won’t. Take Utah to knock off Portland in a game that comes down to the wire.
Look out for the spread when the game gets near because it is possible that the Blazers can cover even with the loss in NBA betting.
NBA ATS Pick: Utah Jazz 109, Portland Trail Blazers 107
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