The Los Angeles Clippers climbed out of a 2-0 hole to win three straight games against the Utah Jazz and get one step away from their first Western Conference Finals. Game 6 is set for Friday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles, so here’s my best Jazz vs. Clippers betting pick along with the latest odds update on William Hill Sportsbook.
The Clippers are without Kawhi Leonard (knee) and Serge Ibaka (back). They opened as slight 2-point home dogs with a total of 219.5 points. The Jazz are without Mike Conley (hamstring) who’s listed as questionable to play Friday after missing the previous five games of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Utah needs to improve on both sides of the floor
After grabbing a 2-0 lead in this series with a couple of victories on the home court, the Utah Jazz have suffered a heavy 132-106 defeat in Game 3 at Staples Center and suddenly lost the momentum. They lost Game 4 comfortably, 118-104, failing to cover a 5-point spread, while Game 5 saw another mediocre performance by the Jazz.
Utah was an 8.5-point home fave for Game 5 this past Wednesday. The Jazz trailed by five or more points for most of the second half and just couldn’t get things going on either side of the ball.
Bojan Bogdanovic led the way for Utah on Wednesday, finishing with 32 points. Donovan Mitchell had 21 points on a terrible 6-for-19 shooting from the field, and Utah’s superstar struggled with his sore ankle. The Jazz went 20-for-54 from beyond the arc (37.0%), but their defense couldn’t cope with the Clippers down the stretch.
The Clippers proved they can win without Kawhi
The Los Angeles Clippers missed Kawhi Leonard in Game 5, but Paul George stepped up big when it mattered the most. He led the way with 37 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists, and George also got help from his teammates, as Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson combined for 47 points on an excellent 18-for-31 shooting from the field.
The Clippers overcame a five-point deficit from halftime, allowing the Jazz to score just 46 points since the break. LA shot 51.2% from the field and 40.0% from beyond the 3-point line (16-for-40) while handing out just 17 assists.
Kawhi Leonard has averaged 30.4 points a night through his 11 outings this postseason, and his absence is undoubtedly a massive blow for the Clippers who’ll need another strong performance from Paul George on Friday. Still, LA’s defense will be a key factor, as the Clippers are yielding 107.7 points per game this postseason while allowing their opponents to shoot 39.7% from downtown.
Trends:
Utah:
- 4-2 ATS in the last six games on the road
- 7-4-1 ATS in the last 12 games overall
LA Clippers:
- 4-7 ATS in the last 11 games at home
Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Clippers Pick:
The Jazz are on the brink of elimination, and I’m expecting them to bounce back. Donovan Mitchell’s injury is not an excuse, as the Clippers are without Kawhi. Mitchell will play through his ankle injury, but he also needs more help from his teammates.
Utah will continue to lean heavily on its 3-point shooting, and I don’t think the Clippers are able of slowing them down. LA will look to protect the rim and stay aggressive for all 48 minutes, but the Jazz also have decent defensive potential. We should see a tight contest, so if you want to take the risk, go with any team to win by five or fewer points at +175 odds.
Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Clippers Total Pick
Eight of Utah’s last ten games went in the over, and I will stick with this trend. Both teams rely on their 3-point shooting, especially the Jazz who have just took 54 attempts from deep in Game 5.
The Clippers prefer to play at a slow pace and will certainly try to slow things down, but I’m still expecting 220-plus points in total. The over is 3-2 in this series, and each game produced more than 219 points in total.