Los Angeles Clippers at Utah Jazz
Wednesday, 2/1/12, 10:30 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Los Angeles -3.5
Current Betting Line: Los Angeles -2
Opening Total: 193
Current Total: 196
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Los Angeles has won three straight games and heads out on the road looking to snap a five-game losing streak against the Utah Jazz. The Clippers suffered a 108-79 defeat to the Jazz as four-point road underdogs on Jan. 17, while going “under” the posted total of 190.5 in that contest. Offensively, the team is shooting 50 percent from the field and averaging 106.3 points per game during its win streak, but point guard Chris Paul hasn’t bought into all the media hype surrounding his new team. “We can’t say that we’ve arrived after this game,” Paul stated after the Clippers 112-100 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Los Angeles is 2-5 ATS as a road favorite of three points or less the last two-plus seasons.
The Clippers will be aiming to win in Salt Lake City for the first time in over nine years, capturing a 96-89 victory on Jan. 22, 2003. It’s safe to say that nobody inside the team’s locker room was on the roster at that time, but it’s still significant in handicapping this Western Conference affair. Paul led the squad with 26 points versus Oklahoma City and will try to dish the ball to power forward Blake Griffin, who has been the talk of the league since dunking on Kendrick Perkins Monday night.
Utah will look to close out a perfect three-game homestand in already picking up victories over the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers. The Jazz have a great chance of capturing a victory as a home underdog tonight, winning the last 16 games against the Clippers inside EnergySolutions Arena by an average of 13.9 points per game. Head coach Tyrone Corbin was pleased with his roster’s performance last time out against Portland, picking up a four-point win despite missing two starters. “There’s no quit in this group of guys,” he commented after the game. Utah is 2-1 ATS as a home underdog of three points or less this season.
The Jazz were very pleased with forward Paul Millsap’s recent performance against the Trail Blazers, scoring 19 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in matching up potential All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge. He scored a team-high 20 points in the earlier meeting against Los Angeles in tonight’s venue, while the bench outscored the Clippers by a 54-32 margin.
Bettors will likely back the Jazz due to their 4-1 ATS mark as a home underdog of 4.5 points or less, while the Clippers are 2-6-1 ATS as a road favorite in that point range.
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