Utah Jazz AT Los Angeles Lakers
April 5, 2011 at 10:30 PM EST, NBA TV
Opening Line: LA -14.5
Current Line: LA -14
Opening total: 193.5
Current total: 193.5
Opening Moneyline: LA -3000 / Uta +1500
Current Moneyline: LA -2200 / Uta +1200
Utah is in the midst of an eight game losing skid and have now dropped below .500 and out of the Western Conference playoff picture. Somewhere, Jerry Sloan is shaking his head, amazed how just how quick a team can fall apart without he and Deron Williams calling the plays and running the team. Utah received a makeover at the trade deadline, and if it were plastic surgery there would be a malpractice lawsuit levied by the Jazz, who have come out of the trade and retirement of Sloan in absolutely ugly form. Fortunately for the hapless Jazz, they may be playing this one against the Lakers without Lakers star center Pau Gasol. Even so, NBA oddsmakers have still set the line drastically in L.A.’s favor, a true testament to how bad the Jazz have become.
Utah already won a game against L.A. this year, but that was a different Jazz team. The downgrade from Deron Williams to Devin Harris has crippled the team and removed all notions that Devin Harris might be an all star again someday; he won’t. Tyrone Corbin is an inadequate coach, but I’m not sure anyone else could have done much better. The Jazz are turning the ball over way too much to beat anyone and their defense has been as porous as a rusty tin roof. Because of their non existent chance of making the playoffs and the relative importance of this game for the Lakers, with regard to home court advantage in the playoffs, it would be fair to expect the Lakers to come out with a much more spirited effort than the down trodden Jazz.
Some betting trends:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Utah’s last 7 games and they are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games. The Jazz are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games and they are 0-5 SU in their last 5 on the road. The Jazz are also 1-8 SU in their last 9 against the Lakers and the total has gone OVER in 9 of their last 12 against the Lakers. Utah is 0-5 SU in their last 5 road games against the Lakers and they are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 on the road against the Jazz.
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Los Angeles’ last 16 games. The Lakers are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games and they are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 at home. The Lakers are 10-1 SU in their last 11 games at home and they are 8-1 SU in their last 9 against the Jazz. The Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 at home against Utah and the total has gone OVER in 9 of the last 12 games against the Jazz.
Key Matchups:
Raja Bell (?) or C.J. Miles vs. Kobe Bryant
Bell, at one time, would have been considered one of the better defenders to put on Bryant, and while he is still not bad, he is not the defender he used to be. Fortunately, for Bell, Bryant is also not the offensive player he used to be and is far less athletic, something that causes problems for Bell on defense now. Bell, also, is questionable for tonight’s game as he has a sprained right foot. If he is unable to play, expect C.J. Miles to make the shift from small forward to shooting guard, and Gordon Hayward to start at small forward. Miles’ length and quick feet will enable him to keep Kobe on the perimeter, but the key will be whether Miles is close enough to Kobe to get a hand up, something which sometimes doesn’t make a difference with Bryant anyway. Both Bell and Miles are capable of doing a good job on Bryant, and in fact, on the 1st of April Miles outscored Bryant 24-21, though the Jazz still lost by 11.
Al Jefferson vs. Andrew Bynum
At one time both these players were considered to be future franchise cornerstones for their respective teams. Al Jefferson was then on the Timberwolves and averaging over 23 pionts per game and 11 boards. Both players, sadly, had their careers derailed to some extent by knee injuries. Bynum has had several surgeries and Jefferson tore his ACL. While neither player is quite the athlete they once were, both are effective around the basket due to their length and strength and both are good on the offensive boards (Jefferson with 2.9 OREBS per game and Bynum with 3.2 OREBS per game). Bynum is only playing 27 minutes a game this season, down 3 from last year, to enable his knees to stay fresh for the playoffs. There’s obviously no concern with resting Jefferson as the Jazz are clearly going nowhere, anyway.
As mentioned in the onset, with or without Gasol the Lakers are going to come out focused on winning against a bad team. Phil Jackson doesn’t allow his team to let up when they build a big lead so covering tonight’s large 14 point spread is still a definite possibility.
