NBA Picks: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Utah Jazz

Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz
Monday, 4/1/13, 9:00 PM EST, TV: RTRM+
Opening Point Spread: Utah -8.5
Current Betting Line: Utah -9.5
Opening Total: 200
Current Total: 200
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Utah Jazz are 5-6 ATS as home favorites of 6.5 to 9 points this season

Portland has dropped its last four games, including a 125-98 setback to the Golden State Warriors as 9.5-point road underdogs last Saturday, while going OVER the posted total in three consecutive contests. “We have to make it more of a priority in these last nine games to play more off a solid game on defense,” commented Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts. The Trail Blazers have lost three games in a row to the Jazz in Salt Lake City, with all three outcomes decided by a single-digit margin. Portland is 7-4 ATS as road underdogs of 6.5 to 9 points this season, with the UNDER going 6-4-1 in that situation.

The Trail Blazers haven’t lost consecutive season series against the Jazz since the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, which can’t be ignored when looking over the pro basketball odds page. Portland has averaged just 86.7 points and shot just 27.7 percent from beyond the arc in its three-game losing streak at EnergySolutions Arena. Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge will not be in the lineup due to an ankle injury that kept him from traveling with the team on this road trip.

Utah has won and covered the spread in four consecutive games, including a 116-107 victory over the Brooklyn Nets as 4.5-point home favorites last Saturday, while going OVER the total in five of six contests. The Jazz have all five starters averaging in double figures, with center Al Jefferson leading the way, scoring 17.4 points and grabbing 9.1 rebounds per game. Utah is 5-6 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points this season, with the OVER going 6-5 in those opportunities.

The Jazz are 27-9 overall at home this season, including a 16-5 mark versus Western Conference foes. Utah has compiled a solid 11-4 record over Portland over the last three seasons, which is important to consider when making your NBA expert picks Monday night. Jefferson has scored 20 in each of the team’s last two wins versus Portland, while Paul Millsap is scoring a team-best 19.3 points per game on 54.8 percent shooting in the season series.