Posted on
4/16/2008 4:46:20 PM
NBA Online Betting Picks - Jazz vs. Spurs
By D.S Williamson
Utah Jazz (+ 4 ) vs. San Antonio Spurs (- 4)
Unlike the Pistons/Cavs game tonight, the one between the Jazz and the Spurs has serious playoff implications as well as online basketball wagering action. The Jazz need to win this game to ensure that they are at home for at least the first-round of this years’ Western Conference Playoffs. Though the NBA betting community should note The Jazz are absolutely fantastic at home. On the road they’re not so good. Their home record against the BetUS spread this season is 29 and 12. Their spread against the BetUS spread on the road is 17 and 23. To make things worse the Jazz haven’t beaten the Spurs in San Antonio since Feb. 8th, 1999.
The Spurs aren’t exactly on fire right now. That’s a not a good sign for San Antonio since they have to start the playoffs soon, but this is San Antonio we’re talking about. The Spurs have gone 4 and 6 against the BetUS spread in their last 10 games. Worse is the fact that they have gone 1 and 5 against the BetUS spread in their last 6 games. Overall this year the Spurs are 36-43-2 against the BetUS spread. Here are more trends.
The Utah Jazz are 6 and 0 against the spread in their last 6 games following a win against the spread.
The Utah Jazz are 13 and 3 against the spread in their last 16 games versus a team from the NBA Southwest Division.
The San Antonio Spurs are 4 and 1 against the spread in their last 5 games at home.
The Under is 4 and 1 in the Utah Jazz last 5 overall games.
The Over is 5 and 0 in the last 5 meetings between these two teams in San Antonio.
There is a lot to digest here. The BetUS over/under in this game is 182 points. The last time these two teams met the Jazz held the Spurs to 64 points. That’s not a misprint. Can the Spurs make up 26 points in this game versus the Jazz? Maybe.
But I just don’t think that the Spurs care all that much about winning or losing this game. For the Jazz this game is absolutely huge. They need home-court advantage in the first-round of the playoffs this year. The Western Conference is loaded and whatever advantage they can get is an advantage that they can use.
The Spurs will find it more appealing tonight to rest Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili instead of laying it all on the line against a Jazz team that they might face again in the playoffs. Also, the aging Spurs simply might not be as good of a team as the Jazz.
I think the Jazz end the San Antonio losing streak tonight.
The BetUS money-line is Utah Jazz + 155 to beat the San Antonio Spurs on the road tonight.
I’m taking a stab and saying that Utah wins this game straight-up.
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