The Utah Jazz have entered a bit of a free fall, dropping five in a row during a tough stretch against some of the other contenders in the Western Conference. They currently sit in fifth place in the West table, half a game back of the Houston Rockets, who have won four straight, including a win over the Lakers at Staples Center on Thursday night. Next up for the Jazz are the Portland Trail Blazers, who routed the Jazz at home on Saturday behind 51 points from Damian Lillard.
The Trail Blazers are trying to claw their way back up the standings, currently sitting in ninth place, 2 ½ games back of the Memphis Grizzlies. They have won four of five and six of ten, but until they can get above .500, they won’t be postseason contenders. Can Portland continue Utah’s misery? Or will the Jazz get some redemption for that rout from Saturday — and the loss to Denver on Wednesday? Don’t miss our sports betting preview for this Friday night Western Conference matchup.
Trail Blazers vs Jazz 2020 NBA Odds & Game Prediction
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- When: Friday, February 7, 2020, 10:30 pm ET
- Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: KPOJ 620 AM Portland / 1280 AM The Zone Salt Lake City
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- NBA Odds: Trail Blazers -4
Why should you bet on Portland?
Portland got taken to the cleaners two days ago, as the Denver Nuggets brought their four-game winning streak to a crashing half with a 28-point win at the Pepsi Center. However, the Trail Blazers got right back on track Thursday night, beating the San Antonio Spurs, 125-117. However, the Trail Blazers had to expend a lot of energy in the fourth quarter to come back from a six-point deficit, and that could hurt them as they play at altitude the very next night.
Damian Lillard was the hero once again for Portland, leading the way with 26 points and 10 assists. Hassan Whiteside dominated the paint, putting up 17 points and grabbing 23 rebounds, tying his season high. Gary Trent Jr drew notice by coming off the bench and contributing 18 points, including four three-pointers in the fourth quarter, helping to key the Trail Blazers’ comeback. He also played shutdown defense on the other end of the floor, helping Portland get several key stops en route to that rally. That sort of team play on both ends is what Portland needs more of in Utah.
Why should you put your money on Utah?
It is true that Utah has lost five in a row, but there are no chumps in that skid: they have lost to Houston, San Antonio, Denver twice and Portland, when Damian Lillard had an historic night on his home court. After that rout, the Jazz had three days off and then hosted Denver on Wednesday night. However, despite the fact that Denver only had seven healthy players on the floor (thanks to injuries and a big trade), the Nuggets were still able to pull off the three-point road win. That should give the Jazz plenty of motivation on Friday night.
Utah got abused inside by Nikola Jokic, as he put up just the tenth 30-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in the history of the NBA — and he had Rudy Gobert guarding him. Mike Conley had 21 points for the Jazz, and he had a chance to give Utah the lead with eight seconds left in the fourth quarter, but he missed the shot and then Denver drained a pair of free throws to seal the three-point win. The Jazz need to up their defense and their rebounding effort if they want to bring this losing streak to an end.
Final Score Prediction
I really like what Portland is doing right now to make a run, but I see them showing up in Salt Lake City with some tired legs, and the added motivation the Jazz have here should elevate them to a win. I predict a final score of Utah 111, Portland 107.
