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The Utah Jazz is on the second of a back-to-back as they stay in New York to take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Jazz-Nets prediction and pick.
Utah throttled the New York Knicks 108-93 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Despite not having Mike Conley or Bojan Bogdanovic available, the Jazz persevered. Donovan Mitchell excelled with 36 points on 11 for 21 shooting, nailing 7 of 12 from the 3-point line. Additionally, Mitchell capitalized on all seven free-throw attempts. Rudy Gobert had 14 points on 2 for 3 shooting, generating 10 of his points from the charity line. He gobbled up nine rebounds. Jordan Clarkson was a spitfire off the bench, scoring 23 points on 10 for 18 shooting. The Jazz shot 45.9 percent from the field including 37 percent from beyond the arc. They also won the rebounding battle 49-37. Utah has won three in a row.
The Nets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 128-123 on Friday night. Kevin Durant scored 38 points on 11 for 15 shooting and nailed 14 of his 15 free-throw attempts. Seth Curry was a force, scoring 27 points, on 9 for 14 shooting, including 7 for 11 from the triples. Andre Drummond added 17 points on 6 for 10 shooting. Bruce Brown also had 17 points, on 7 for 12 shooting. Brooklyn shot 58.4 percent from the field as a team and hit 40 percent of their 3-point shots. The Nets rallied from an 82-64 deficit to win and did it without Kyrie Irving, who is still not allowed to play home games due to Vaccine mandates. The Nets are 5-1 over their last six games.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Jazz-Nets odds:
NBA Odds: Jazz-Nets Odds
Jazz: -1.5 (-110)
Nets: +1.5 (-110)
Over: 232 (-110)
Under: 232 (-110)
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Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
Utah showed on Sunday what they could do without two of their key players. Conley sat out yesterday to rest his injured knee. There is a chance he plays tonight. Mitchell and Gobert carried the load last night but would welcome him back. Utah has done well against Brooklyn in recent memory.
They defeated the Nets 125-102 over a month ago at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. Mitchell scored 27 points on 8 for 10 shooting, including 6 for 7 from beyond the arc. Bogdanovic added 19 points on 8 for 14 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds. Additionally, Conley had 14 points on 5 for 10 shooting, and 2 for 5 from the 3-point line. The bench superseded all expectations in this match. Eric Paschall chipped in 16 points on 6 for 9 shooting. The bench combined for 51 points. The ability to stop the Nets paid dividends as they held Kyrie Irving to 15 points on 6 for 20 shooting.
The Jazz has dominated the series, going 6-1 in their last seven games over the Nets. Consequently, part of this is because of their ability to score and win the battle on the boards. It does not help the Nets that Ben Simmons remains out with a back injury and has yet to partake in basketball activities.
Utah has the advantage on the boards as they rank fourth in the NBA. Gobert leads the charge here averaging 14.7 rebounds per game. Utah also hits their shots in spades, ranking fifth in the league.
The Jazz will cover the spread if they can hit their shots consistently and control the boards. The one-two punch of Mitchell and Gobert can carry Utah to the victory over the Nets if they accomplish those two things.
Why the Nets Could Cover The Spread
Brooklyn has played at a disadvantage for an entire season not having Irving available. Until the mandate changes, they will have to continue playing without one of their stars. One advantage they have tonight is fresher legs. The Jazz is coming off a Sunday game, so the Nets should do their best to take advantage of that. When these teams last met, the Nets were without Durant.
Durant has been the heart and soul of this team averaging 29.4 points per game and delivering 6.0 assists per game. When Durant has played, the Nets are 29-15. They are 8-19 without him on the floor. Having their best player on the court gives the Nets the chance to not just compete with the Jazz, but defeat them. One key factor for them is getting to the free-throw line.
The Nets are ranked sixth in free-throw shooting percentage. As evidenced by the win over the Blazers, the Nets thrive when getting to the line. They also rank sixth in blocked shots because of Durant and Drummond.
The Nets will cover if they can get to the charity line and slow down Utah's red-hot offense. It will not be easy, but they have hung around in recent games against great teams and definitely can do it again.
Final Jazz-Nets Prediction & Pick
Utah is on too much of a roll to slow down. Plus, Brooklyn not having Irving or Simmons available harms their chances. Mitchell and Gobert will carry the Jazz to another win, and the Nets will once more feel the pain of not having Irving available.
Final Jazz-Nets Prediction & Pick: Jazz -1.5 (-110)
