Posted on
12/31/2007 4:09:48 PM
NBA Basketball Betting – Portland at Utah
By Charles Jay
BetUS NBA basketball betting odds: UTAH -7.5, Total: 199
The Portland Trail Blazers (18-12 SU, 19-11 ATS) are the NBA's hottest team, and ride a 13-game winning streak into Monday night's game with Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz (16-16 SU, 13-18 ATS) at the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City. Tipoff for the game is slated for 8 PM ET.
In the BetUS NBA basketball betting odds, the Jazz is listed at -7.5, with the total posted at 199 points.
In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA betting trends:
* PORT has covered five of the last six meetings
* PORT has won four of the last five meetings SU
* Four of the last six meetings have gone UNDER the total
* UTAH has covered nine of the last 13 meetings as the home team
* UTAH has won six of the last seven meetings SU as the home team
* Six of the last eight meetings in Salt Lake City have gone UNDER the total
Portland's numbers right now are a bit deceiving. they have outscored the opposition only by a 95.8--95.5 margin, and average just 5.3 steals a game. Portland turns the ball over just 13.6 times a game and has scored 92.6 ppg on the road. Also:
* PORT has covered 12 of its last 13 games
* PORT has played seven of its last 10 games UNDER the total
* PORT has covered four of its last five road games
* PORT has won three of its last 16 road games SU
Utah is second in the league in shooting, making 48.8% of field goal attempts. The Jazz does not rely a lot on the three-pointer, ranking last with only 3.7 per game. That may change a bit with the acquisition of long-range shooter Kyle Korver, who comes over from Philadelphia in exchange for guard Gordon Giricek. Utah is fifth in the league in scoring at home with 106.1 ppg. Also:
* UTAH has covered tow of its last seven games
* UTAH has won three of its last 14 games SU
* UTAH has covered seven of its last 10 home games
* UTAH has won 10 of its last 12 home games SU
The Blazers, coming off their 13th win in a row, now find themselves in a tie with the Denver Nuggets for first place in the NBA's Northwest Division. But of course, all streaks have to eventually come to an end; is this as good a time as any for it to happen? Maybe - after all, Utah is in double revenge mode, having been a victim of Portland's not once but twice during this current string. And the Jazz is on a great winning run of its own on the home floor - winning 10 of their last 12 at the EnergySolutions Arena (though one of those losses was to this Blazer team)
But Portland, which has covered the pointspread in 12 of those 13 wins, is nothing if not resilient. They lost Greg Oden at season's start, and had to play some of these recent games without talented, capable big man LeMarcus Aldridge. Yet, here they are. And the second unit is showing some strength, producing 49 points in the last win over Philadelphia. You can rest assured that if the Blazers go down, they're going down swinging.
We'll take the points with the team that hasn't tasted defeat since December 2. That's Portland, the 7.5-point underdog in the BetUS NBA betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: PORTLAND
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(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.com is a freelance writer and handicapper who not only can make his shots from the top of the key, but also contributes with gusto to the BetUS Locker Room)