The Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers just might meet in the Western Conference Finals down the line, but for now, the two sides clash on Saturday, April 17, when they face one another in NBA betting action at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The only issue is that both teams are dealing with some injuries, so neither is at full strength.
Can the shorthanded Lakers hang in there against the Jazz today? Find out in our Jazz vs. Lakers picks and predictions.
(Editor's Note: This preview was published before Saturday's news that the Jazz's Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert would miss today's game against the Lakers.)
Jazz vs Lakers odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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NBA sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonWith news today that Utah would be just as shorthanded if not more than Los Angeles (see below), this line plummeted at FanDuel. The Jazz opened -8.5 Friday night, fell of to -4.5 this morning, and the point spread has since jumped the fence to Lakers -1, where it sits at 1:45 p.m. ET. Ticket count is almost dead even, with 51 percent of bets on the Jazz, while the Lakers are taking 54 percent of money. The total opened at 214, bottomed out at 213, then rose to 215, with 58 percent of tickets and money on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameJazz at Lakers betting preview
Injuries
Jazz: F Joe Ingles (Probable), G Jordan Clarkson (Probable), G Donovan Mitchell (Out), C Rudy Gobert (Out), G Mike Conley (Out), C Derrick Favors (Out).
Lakers: C Andre Drummond (Questionable), C Marc Gasol (Questionable), F Markieff Morris (Questionable), F LeBron James (Out), F Anthony Davis (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Jazz are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games. Find more NBA betting trends for Jazz vs. Lakers.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
The Lakers might not be winning as many games as they need to be right now, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been competitive. Los Angeles has covered in four of its last six games, and the team even came away with four victories on its recent seven-game road trip. The Lakers will eventually get LeBron James and Anthony Davis back, but they actually might be better off in the long run because of all of the opportunities their supporting cast has been getting.
This meeting with Utah seems like another chance for Los Angeles to go out there and compete at a high level. The Jazz might not have Donovan Mitchell in this game, but even if they do, he wouldn’t be playing like his normal self. With one of the game’s top scorers hampered by an ankle injury, it wouldn’t be too surprising if this game turned into a defensive slugfest. Los Angeles is first in the league in defensive rating this season, and Utah isn’t too far behind in fourth. With this likely to be a low-scoring affair, the Lakers are getting a few too many points.
PREDICTION: Lakers +6.5 (-110)
Over/Under pick
Considering these are two of the best defensive teams in basketball, the Under was always going to be an enticing play in this one. And despite the fact that the number is extremely low, it’s still the way to go. The only player in this game that was really capable of making this seem like a lousy value was Mitchell, but he’ll either be out of the lineup or playing on a bad ankle. If it’s the latter, he’ll have a tough time scoring on an elite Lakers defense.
PREDICTION: Under 216 (-110)
Jazz vs Lakers betting card
- Lakers +6.5 (-110)
- Under 216 (-110)
Picks made on 04/17/2021 at 2:25 a.m. ET.
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