Jazz vs. Celtics Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
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Andrew Rogers
The Jazz have scuffled to a 5-5 SU record over their past 10 games but are still road favourites against a Celtics team that has come alive in recent weeks, but still has an uphill climb to a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
After opening the 2020-21 campaign as the slam-dunk No. 1 against-the-spread option in the NBA, the Jazz have come crashing back to Earth. Utah comes into Tuesday’s game having covered just once in its previous six games, a stretch that includes four losses as a favourite. And their recent ATS slump has given bettors significant pause, with Sports Interaction respondents split 50-50 on Tuesday night’s spread.
The total trend, on the other hand, is completely one-sided, with a whopping 96 percent of bettors taking the O228.5 at -110 (with the U228.5 carrying identical odds). The Jazz have been a terrific Over option of late, exceeding the total in five of their previous six games overall thanks largely to their struggles on defence. The Celtics have had even more prolonged success in the Over department, carrying an 8-3 O/U record through their previous 11 outings.
Utah Jazz
Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson are the Jazz’s most electrifying players and prolific scorers – but as SLC Dunk points out, it’s probably better to not have them on the floor at the same time. As the Jazz’s SB Nation site, the league’s average defensive rating is 112.5; with Clarkson and Mitchell on the court together, Utah’s defensive rating drops all the way to 118 – and that mark plummets down to 128 in games since Feb. 26.
Boston Celtics
It might be callous to suggest that a deal involving Tristan Thompson would fall under the category of “addition by subtraction”, but it’s hard to argue with the logic. Thompson is rumoured to be headed out of Boston, with the Toronto Raptors among the most-talked about suitors. It has been an up-and-down season for Thompson, who averages 7.9 points and 8.4 rebounds and boasts a 15.73 PER for the season, just above the league average.
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