Posted on
1/10/2008 2:38:03 PM
NBA Basketball Betting – Phoenix at Utah
By Charles Jay
The Phoenix Suns (25-10 SU, 15-19-1 ATS) are coming off a couple of huge wins as they plow into Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz (19-17 SU, 16-20 ATS) at the EnergySolutions Arena. Tipoff is slated for 10:30 PM ET for this game, which will be televised by TNT.
In the BetUS NBA betting odds, the Jazz is listed at -6, with the total posted at 220.5 points.
In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA basketball betting trends:
* UTAH has covered five of the last seven meetings
* UTAH has won four of the last six meetings SU
* The road team has covered the last five meetings
* Five of the last eight meetings have gone UNDER the total
* PHX has had the shooting edge in each of the last three meetings
* UTAH has had the rebounding edge in nine of the last ten meetings
* PHX has made more three-pointers in each of the last ten meetings
Phoenix is the league's top shooting team, hitting just over 49% of its field goal attempts. The Suns lowered their average slightly by shooting 44.6% against Indiana last night. Phoenix averages only 8.8 offensive rebounds per game, but 8.6 three-pointers every time it takes the floor. Also:
* PHX has covered two of its last six games
* PHX has won six of its last seven games SU
* PHX has won seven of its last 11 road games SU
* PHX has played four of its last five games OVER the total
Utah is second in the league in field goal percentage, right behind Phoenix at 48.9%. However, their approach is different, as the Jazz makes only 3.9 shots a game from beyond the arc. Utah is one of the more aggressive teams defensively, registering 9.2 steals per contest. Also:
* UTAH has won 13 of its last 15 home games SU
* UTAH has played three of its last four home games OVER the total
* UTAH has covered four of its last six home games
Phoenix, which blasted Denver by a 137-115 score on Monday night, came back from 16 points down last night to win a 129-122 overtime decision over Indiana at the US Airways Center. And the Suns have managed to really find the range lately: in the last two games, they have gone 34 of 62 (55%) from three-point range. That's THIRTY-FOUR three-pointers in two games!
But this one may represent a rather disadvantageous scheduling situation for the Suns. With no rest, off an overtime win which required quite a bit of effort, and short-handed to some extent with Grant Hill out for a couple of weeks (appendectomy) and Steve Nash battling the stomach flu, they travel to the altitude of Salt Lake City to face a Utah team that has had the benefit of a day of rest, and is also seeking some revenge from their December 12 meeting, won by Phoenix 103-96 (Utah covered).
Oh, and the Jazz has won 13 of 15 at home as well; they're formidable enough on their own home floor to have ended Portland's 13-game winning streak there last week. We're going to figure on Nash playing for Phoenix, even though Leandro Barbosa provides plenty of energy in his place. Even still, we'll roll with the Jazz in this one at the BetUS Sportsbook.
BetUS NBA betting odds: UTAH -6, Total 220.5
JAY'S PLAY: UTAH
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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)