NBA Playoff Betting June 8, 2021 – Los Angeles Clippers at Utah Jazz
If the Los Angeles Clippers are going to make the conference final for the first time in team history they will definitely have earned it. After finishing off the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 in the first round, the Clips will now tangle with No. 1 seed Utah Jazz in a West semifinal. LA won all three road games in the first round and head to Salt Lake City to face the team with the best home record during the regular year. After losing the first game of their series with Memphis, the Jazz won the next four giving them plenty of time to rest up for their next opponent. Bookmaker.eu offers a generous welcome bonus (max bonus $1600).
Los Angeles Clippers at Utah Jazz
Date and Time: Tuesday, June 8, 2021, 10 p.m. ET
Location: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Opening NBA Odds: Utah -4, O/U 221.5
Clippers at Jazz TV Coverage: TNT
Odds Analysis
The Clippers were the favorite in every game of their series with Dallas covering the spread in the last two and in four of the last five games when they also went 4-1 SU to overcome losing the first two games on their home floor. The road team won the first six games in that matchup with the Clippers taking care of business at home when they needed to. The Clips were 21-15 SU and 18-17-1 ATS on the road during the regular season and were ruthless in their games in Dallas holding the Mavs to 95.3 points per game with wins and payouts in all of them.
The season series between the clubs ended in mid-February with the Jazz winning two of three games and going 2-1 ATS. Thanks to having the best home record in the NBA the Jazz finished with the best overall record at 52-20. They went 31-5 SU and 23-12-1 ATS at home during the regular season, including a 106-100 win over the Clippers on New Year’s Day when they were catching 3.5 points on the closing line. The UNDER went 2-0-1 during the season and is 4-1-1 in the last six series games.
Los Angeles Clippers
I don’t know if the demons have been completely exorcised but winning that first round series is a step in the right direction. The Clippers could have easily gone in the tank after losing the first two games at home. After seizing the momentum by winning the next two in Big D, they again fell short on their home floor forcing them to win the remaining two games. And they did behind former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. That inconsistent play won’t get it done against Utah and I can guarantee you they won’t win three road games in this series. Of course if they take care of business at home they would need only one victory in SLC.
The Clippers will rely heavily on Leonard after his sparkling series against the Mavs where he averaged 32.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists while playing over 40 minutes per game. Facing elimination in Game 6, Leonard was unconscious hitting 18 of 25 from the field and 5 of 9 from three-point range for 45 points. The Clips held on 104-97 then won the series two days later when Leonard was one assist shy of a triple-double. And the Clips got the kind of balanced effort in that game that they’ll need to beat Utah. Seven players scored double-figures with George and Marcus Morris each topping the 20-point mark.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz will look to avoid the same start they had in their first round series. Waiting a week to play the opening game, they looked sluggish and out of sync falling to the Griz 112-109. They recovered to win the next four, but a repeat of that could be more difficult against a better club looking for redemption. It wasn’t quite a week between games this time and the Jazz will also have the services of Donovan Mitchell to start the series. The team’s leading scorer missed the final month of the regular season and was a game-time scratch ahead of the opener with Memphis. Over his 17-game absence the Jazz were just 10-7.
So Mitchell gets back in the lineup showing no signs of rust. He scored 25 points in Game 2, his first action in over a month, and the Jazz cruised 141-129. They scored at least 120 points in each of the last four games against the Griz going 4-0 ATS. The Jazz have incredible balance and talent, which is why they are the top seed. They will have to defend LA’s smaller lineup that caused problems for the Mavs. The chore will be impacted if Mike Conley isn’t ready. Conley injured his hamstring in Game 5 of the Memphis series and his status is unknown.
Bet Clippers at Jazz at BookMaker.eu
The Jazz were among the top-5 in both offense and defense during the regular season and they showed their prowess in the opening series. They are also really good at home and this series should be a little more predictable than LA’s first round matchup. The Jazz will use their balance and depth to draw first blood in this series.
NBA Score Prediction: Jazz 113, Clippers 105
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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com
