The Utah Jazz play their penultimate game of this regular season on the road this Wednesday – against the Portland Trail Blazers. Will the Jazz punctuate their solid regular season campaign with a victory? Or will the Blazers end their losing streak? Read on for a preview of this game below.
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Betting Preview for the Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers NBA Regular Season Game on April 11, 2018
When: Moda Center at the Rose Quarter
When: Wednesday, April 11 10:30PM
Line: Utah Jazz (spread) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (spread) – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN, RTRM
Betting on the Utah Jazz (47-33)
Point Spread: click here
The Jazz have been a .500 team on the road so far this season with a 20-20 SU record when away from Salt Lake City. That said, they have been very good away from the friendly confines of Vivint Smart Home Arena of late, as the Jazz are 9-1 SU and 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 road games. That stretch includes their Feb. 11 115-96 win at Moda Center over Portland in which hotshot Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell dropped 27 points on 10-for-24 shooting from the field with Rudy Gobert flexing his muscle around the rim with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and two shot blocks. The key here for the Jazz, however, is whether they could limit Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. While that’s going to be easier said than done, the Jazz are among the best defensive team in the league, one that allows just 100.1 points per game. Save for their 112-103 overtime win at home vs. Portland on Nov. 1, the Jazz have given no more than 100 points to the Blazers in any of their other two meetings with the Blazers.
Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers (48-32)
Point Spread: click here
The Blazers are assured of a playoff spot, but it would be good for them to end a four-game skid just before they plunge into the postseason. The Blazers were last seen on the court taking an 88-82 road loss at the hands of the Denver Nuggets last Monday with Lillard and McCollum combining for 41 points but on an ugly 13-for-40 shooting from the field. The Blazers needs to get more from their bench too after their second unit mustered just 10 points. Should the Jazz success in bottling up the Lillard and McCollum, guys like Shabazz Napier, Jusuf Nurkic, and Al-Farouq Aminu will have to step up. The Blazers, however, are also capable of playing tenacious defense, as they are fifth in the NBA with just 103.1 points allowed per game, fifth overall in the NBA. In the last between the two teams, Portland held the Jazz to only 42.3 field goal shooting percentage and 24.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc (6-for-25) in a 100-81 dominant win in Salt Lake City on Feb. 23. Portland is 8-2 SU and 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 home games overall.
Writer’s Prediction:
Utah wins, 102-100.
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