NBA Odds, Picks: Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers

Rudy Gobert will refortify the Jazz' defense and could help the team secure a spot in the postseason.
Rudy Gobert will refortify the Jazz’ defense and could help the team secure a spot in the postseason.

Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers
Time: 8:30 PM CT (NBA LP)
Spread: UTA -2.5
Total: 192.5

Betting odds c/o 5dimes

The Utah Jazz are 16-20 and have lost six of its past 10 games, but the ship may be righted quickly: Center Rudy Gobert is back in the mix, and he is the key to the Jazz’ typically tough defense.

That defense will have its chance to clamp down again as the Jazz travel to face the L.A. Lakers at 8:30 Central on NBA League Pass.

NBA oddsmakers favor Gobert and the Jazz by 2.5 points in the game which will have an over/under of 192.5.

Click HERE to see live NBA odds from major bookmakers!

The over/under is reflective of what this Jazz team does to a game’s pace and the way the Jazz control opponents on the defensive end. Utah allows just 97.3 points per game but it scores 96.7. That is a differential of negative 0.7, but it stands world’s better than the Lakers negative 9.1.

L.A. has just not been good, despite a glut of young talent and a soon-to-be retired Kobe Bryant. The Lakers have lost three straight games to the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder. All but the Warriors game were close, however, and though the Lakers are 8-30 there is a sense the club could reach something resembling respectability by season’s end.

Part of that is due to Bryant accepting a less prominent role of sorts. And admitting his own struggles. Bryant has shot just 36.6 percent from the floor over his past seven games, and he is hitting 35 percent on the season. With Kobe attempting 17.3 field goals, that is going to result in a lot of losses.

What is telling, however, is that when Bryant is scoring, the Lakers are a good team. In the six wins this season in which he has played (two wins he was not a part of), Bryant has averaged 22.3 points, five assists and five rebounds per game. What is somewhat perplexing is even over that sextet of games he is not been efficient, just 37.7 percent from the field.

Can the Lakers win while still heavily featuring Bryant? Probably not. Can the Lakers get away from featuring him so heavily? It likely will not. That is what leaves this team in a precarious state of limbo, with the “real rebuild” to begin when Bryant does finally hang it up.

The Lakers do have some talent to build around though. Rookie D’Angelo Russell has been good at times, averaging 11.7 points, four rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes a night. It is certainly barely scratching the surface of what he is capable of, but it is scratching that surface nevertheless. Russell is quick, talented with the ball in his hands and could eventually become a major scorer in the NBA.

Sportsbooks reviews here!

Adding to Russell is second-year rookie (Yes, that was typed correctly) Julius Randle. Randle broke his leg in the Lakers’ opener last year, but he is close to doing exactly what he said he would this season: averaging a double-double.

The bruiser from Kentucky is averaging 10.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, and his skill set befits that of a point-forward. While Randle is not in the mold of the new stretch-4 motif, he is too talented not to find a home in this era. Randle is shooting just 40.2 percent from the field, but he is showing enough talent to substantiate the high lottery pick the Lakers spent on him.

None of the Lakers are posting great stats: The team has just one player above the league average of PER (Louis Williams, 17.6). But the pieces are in place to build a strong team, particularly after Bryant’s salary is off the books.

While teams may not be clamoring for the likes Of Nick Young, the Lakers do have some moveable pieces to work with this trade deadline. If the team feels Russell is the point of the future, for instance, it could move high scoring guard Jordan Clarkson, who is sure to command some interest around the league. Whatever the Lakers do, the focus is past this season to a future far brighter than its 8-30 record indicates.

Purchase our NBA pick plans HERE!

Share This Post

The information contained at this site is for entertainment purposes only. Any use of this information in violation of any state, federal, or local laws is prohibited.
Copyright © MadduxSports.com - Premier Sports Picks and Sports Odds Web site