NBA PLAYOFF ODDS — L.A. CLIPPERS AT UTAH JAZZ: GAME 2
The Utah Jazz figured to be a very tough “out” in the NBA playoffs. After all, they had the best record in the league during the regular season.They looked like they were in trouble in Game 1 of their series against theLos Angeles Clippers, but came roaring back in the third quarter to wrest control. It went down to the last play, as Rudy Gobert, who’s just been named the Defensive Player of the Year, blocked a three-point attempt by Marcus Morris to secure a 112-109 win.
Actually, Utah led the game by eight points with just 79 seconds left and then allowed the Clippers to mount a late run. The guy who really made the difference for the Jazz was Donovan Mitchell, who finished with a game-high 45 points.
Now, Game 2 takes place in Salt Lake City at 10 PM ET. In the NBA playoff betting odds posted by the folks at BetAnySports, Utah is the favorite:
Utah Jazz -3
Los Angeles Clippers +3
Over 221.5 points -110
Under 221.5 points -110
Mitchell scored 32 points in the second half, and he was just impossible to stop when he got rolling. Things did not start off well for him in this post-season; he was ruled out of Game 1 against Memphis with a knee injury, and it was clear that he disagreed with the team’s medical staff. His Jazz teammates were not made aware of his absence until shortly before that game began, and they were thrown off-balance so much that they lost.
But now Mitchell is in high gear, although he did mention after the contest that he felt a little nauseous. So if he feels better, he could really be dangerous, right?
The Clippers simply could not switch on him effectively a couple of nights ago. He picked on the likes of Luke Kennard, Reggie Jackson and Ivica Zubac, who could not deal with him. He was effective, whether it was attacking the basket, pulling up for mid-range jumpers or hit from downtown (six of 15).
Now it’s time for the Clippers to make their adjustments. Head coach Tyrone Lue inexplicably used Patrick Beverley for only six minutes in Game 1, and at this point, he may not have any choice but to turn to his defensive ace in the backcourt. Indeed, he did say that Beverley will see considerably more playing time.
And the objective will be to hassle Mitchell as much as possible, which means that people like Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson would have to pick up some of that slack. Remember that Mike Conley had to sit out Game 1 with hamstring issues and is questionable for Game 2. Ingles had seven assists and just one turnover starting in his place on Tuesday night.
Beverley is a factor here. So is the fact that Utah outscored L.A. by only three points in a three-point shooting. Remember that the Clippers were #1 in the NBA in three-point percentage this season. The Jazz can’t be underestimated, but this looks like it could be a bounceback opportunity for the Clips, as we take the points.
If you liked this information please visit our blog for daily game analysis and register for our free daily picks. For our daily videos sign up to our youtube channel
BetAnySports is bringing more and more features to its customers as the brand new software rolls out!….. There are plenty of alternate lines on the NBA playoff games, as well as “Less Juice” to give you a better deal…… And with “Ultimate Lines” you are right on top of things to place real-time wagers!
