NBA Betting – Thursday Picks – Portland Trailblazers vs Utah Jazz
Before nba betting fans turn their attention to more sports betting events this weekend, we have the NBA doubleheader on Thursday night. It’s time for our weekly hoops picks for NBA gambling action.
CLICK HERE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT AT SPORTSBOOK.COM – THE WORLD’S BIGGEST & BEST NBA SPORTSBOOK!!!
TRAIL BLAZERS vs. JAZZ
Time: Thursday 10:30 ET
Venue: EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City
Spread: Trail Blazers -4.5
Over/Under: 189.5
Click here for indepth NBA ATS Stats —>
Bet Now at Sportsbook.com —>
IN THE NIGHTCAP on the TNT doubleheader, Portland has a chance to make inroads on the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference with a win over the reeling Jazz.
With expected No. 3 seed Dallas leaking oil (4 straight losses), the 6 could be the place to be for a Western Conference team looking for an upset.
It’s not often at this point in the season that the Utah Jazz are just playing out the string but unfortunately that’s how it is in the 2010-11 campaign. The Portland Trail Blazers were the ones that were supposed to struggle through their myriad of injuries and miss the playoffs. But instead the Blazers have come together and thrived, clinching a playoff spot on Tuesday despite a loss.
Portland still has some positioning issues to sort out, however, and it will be looking to stay a step ahead when it visit’s the Jazz on Thursday.
Utah has only one losing record – a 26-56 mark in 2004-05 – over the last 28 seasons and can avoid another if it can find a way to win its last four games.
The Blazers are in a 3-way scrum with New Orleans and Memphis for that 6 seed.
Utah won at the Rose Garden, 103-94, back on Nov. 20 but has dropped the last two in the series, 96-91 in Salt Lake City on Dec. 27 and 100-89 three days later in Portland.
All three of those games took place during the Jerry Sloan/Deron Williams era, however. The Jazz had won five straight in the series before the December meetings.
Trends:
UTA are 11-4-1 ATS in their last 16 Thu. games.
UTA are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 home games.
Over is 36-15 in UTA last 51 vs. NBA Northwest.
Over is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings.
Favorite is 10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings.
Best Bet: Blazers -4.5
Lawrence Paul is a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog, and is a free-lance gambling and travel expert from Massachusetts.
