The Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz tip off their 2021 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals on Tuesday night, so hereโs the best betting pick for Game 1 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City along with the latest odds update, team stats, and news.
The No. 4 Clippers are listed as slight +110 underdogs to reach the conference finals, while the No. 1 Jazz are -130 favorites to win this series. Utah opened as a 3.5-point home fave for Game 1 on DraftKings Sportsbook. LA is a +150 moneyline dog with a total of 220.5 points.
The Clippers might struggle with fatigue
The Los Angeles Clippers have won four of their last five games to overcome a 2-0 deficit against the No. 5 Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. Kawhi Leonard went off for 45 points in a 104-97 Game 6 victory in Dallas, while the Clippers dropped 126 points on the Mavs in Game 7 at home and thrashed them off by 15 points.
The Clippers have had a lot of ups and downs over the last two weeks, but theyโve managed to win all three games at American Airlines Center in Dallas to avoid an upset. LA has averaged 111.1 points a night on 48.8% shooting from the field while yielding 106.0 points in a return.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George struggled mightily to cope with Luka Doncic, and the Clippers will have to improve defensively if they want to make some noise in the West. LA has allowed the Mavs to make 38.8% of their 3-pointers, and the Clippers will meet the best 3-point shooting team in the league in the next round.
The Jazz easily defeated Memphis to earn some rest ahead of the semis
The Utah Jazz needed five games to outlast the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. After a 112-109 defeat in the opener, the Jazz have won four straight games while covering on all four occasions to see off the Grizzlies challenge.
Donovan Mitchell missed Game 1 due to an ankle injury, and his return sparkled the Jazz to score a whopping 141 points in Game 2. Mitchell was Utahโs leading scorer in each of their previous four contests, averaging 28.5 points a night.
Utah has scored 123.4 points per game in the previous round, making 48.8% of its field goals and 40.6% of its 3-pointers. The Jazz led the league in 3-pointers made per game this past regular season, averaging 16.7 triples a night on 38.9% shooting (4th in the NBA).
Trends:
LA Clippers:
- 3-9 ATS in the last 12 games against Utah
Utah:
- 6-1 ATS in the last seven games overall
NBA Free Picks
The Jazz are 9-3 straight up and ATS in their last 12 encounters with the Clippers, and Iโm expecting Utah to extend its dominance and win Game 1 on Tuesday night. Also, the Jazz are undefeated in five straight home contests against the Clippers, going 4-1 ATS in the process.
Utah should have more offensive firepower than LA, and I think the Clippers will be tired after playing Game 7 of their first-round series this past Sunday. Give me the hosts to cover.
Pick: Utah Jazz -3.5 at -110
The Total:
The under is 4-1-1 in the last six matchups between LA and Utah. Two of their three head-to-head duels this past regular season went in the under along with a push, but I donโt feel comfortable with a 220.5-point line in this one. Furthermore, the Jazz heavily lean on their 3-point shooting and donโt hesitate to push the ball in transition.
On the other side, the Clippers will certainly try to slow down things, as they average just 96.9 possessions per 48 minutes. Therefore, I will stick with the betting trends once more, though Utah to cover is my top pick here.
Pick: Go under 220.5 points at -110