The Utah Jazz return to Vivint Smart Home Arena following a two-game road swing as they play host to the Golden State Warriors. Utah hosted Golden State in mid-October with the Warriors earning a narrow 124-123 triumph, putting an end to a three-game slide vs the Jazz. Golden State is a 3-point favorite in tonight’s game with the total Sportsbook at 218 points.
- Utah is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games vs Golden State.
- The total has gone UNDER in five of Utah’s last six games.
- Golden State is 6-1 SU and 4-3 ATS in its last seven games (avg. winning margin: 13.5).
Utah vs Golden State Game Center
Scoring has stalled for Jazz during recent slump
Utah has been sliding recently, going 1-4 SU in its last five games, with its lone victory coming at home, while its four losses all came on the road. This has been a common theme for the Jazz recently, as they are just 5-10 SU in their last 15 road games while going 5-2 SU and ATS in their last seven home games.
Their offense comes alive in front of the fans at Vivint Smart Home Arena. On the season they are averaging 106.5 points per game, which is the seventh-fewest in the NBA, but that rises to 111.3 ppg at home, which is the 12th-fewest. However, their stout defense remains consistent, giving up an average of 106.5 ppg on the year, the sixth-best mark in the league, though that rises slightly to 107.9 at home.
On defense, Utah ranks smack-dab in the middle of the league with 63.7 contested shots per game, but its opponents are shooting 47.6 percent from the floor. Offensively, the team has been led by Donovan Mitchell recently, as he has paced the Jazz in scoring in each of the last five games with an average of 22.8 ppg.
The Jazz like to attack their opponents from beyond the arc, taking 38 percent of their shots from long distance for the seventh-most in the NBA. But they shoot just 33.3 percent from three-point range, the fifth-lowest mark in the Association.
Warriors eye a fifth straight road win
Golden State has been rolling lately, winning nine of its last 12 games, including its last four in a row away from Oracle Arena. Over that span, the Warriors have been the third-highest scoring team in the league, averaging 116.6 points per game, while surrendering the 14th-fewest ppg at 109.6.
They rank 15th in the NBA with 65 percent of their shots coming from two-point range, while also ranking 15th with 35 percent of their shots coming from beyond the arc, leaving teams guessing as to where they will shoot from. Golden State’s strong shooting ability could be attributed to getting clean looks at the basket and it does this by moving the ball around, leading the league with an average of 27.9 assists per game. However, Utah allows the fewest assists per games at just 20.7.
Defensively, the Warriors are very aggressive in limiting their opponent’s triple attempts, as they contest 27.1 three-point shots per game, which is the third-most in the NBA, and their foes are shooting just 32.8 percent from long range, which is the fourth-lowest percentage. Lastly, they do a good job cleaning the glass, grabbing the fifth-most defensive rebounds per game, limiting their opponent’s second chances. The Jazz secure the seventh-fewest offensive boards per game.
UNDER trending but is it the best bet?
Golden State and Utah have been solid UNDER plays recently and Sportsbook has tonight’s total Sportsbook at 218 points. The Warriors have gone UNDER in four of their last five games with an average combined score of 197.6, while the Jazz have gone UNDER in five of their last six matches with an average combined score of 205.33.
However, Golden State has gone OVER in nine of its last 13 road games and Utah has gone OVER in seven of its last nine home contests. Lastly, the Warriors and Jazz played to a combined score of 247 when they hooked up at Vivint Smart Home Arena in the second game of the season. I think the OVER 218 points will come through again tonight.
My take on Golden State vs Utah
I like Golden State to cover the 3-point spread in tonight’s game. The Warriors have been on a tear since Steph Curry returned to their lineup from his injury, going 6-2 SU with their only losses coming in his return at Detroit and at home to East-leading Toronto. They have an average winning margin of 13.5 over this current hot stretch.
Meanwhile, the Jazz look to do damage from three-point range, and the Warriors hold their foes to the fourth-lowest three-point shooting percentage in the league. Lastly, Utah has dropped four of its last five games with an average losing margin of 8.5 points. I think Golden State should cover the 3 points.
