Basketball odds in the NBA Playoffs include the Utah Jazz who have been one of the best teams in the league this season. The Jazz are very tough at home vs. the NBA odds and this season they have been decent on the road. The Jazz are not the favorite to win the Western Conference but they are given a chance to make things interesting if they face the Lakers.
Basketball odds in the first round won’t have the Jazz facing the Lakers. Utah would prefer not to face the Lakers until the later rounds of the playoffs. The Western Conference has been so competitive this season that seven teams are within a few games of each other. Last season the Jazz finished poorly and were routed by the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. “We’re finishing on a better note … so that’s promising,” Deron Williams said. The Jazz were looking to finish this season and secure home court advantage in the first round. “It’s good for confidence,” Carlos Boozer said. “It’s a huge thing for most teams to be playing their best basketball going into the playoffs.” Boozer leads the team in scoring at almost 20 points per game.
Two years ago the Jazz won nine of their last twelve games to tend the season and they beat Houston in the first round of the playoffs. They also played well against the Lakers before losing in six games. Last year they finished the regular season poorly vs. the NBA odds and then were dismantled by the Lakers. This year’s Utah team looks more like the one that did well in the playoffs a couple of years ago.
Utah is the fourth best team in terms of points scored this season. The Jazz are also respectable on defense, ranking 12th. The Jazz have been one of the best teams this season vs. the basketball odds. They are excellent at home and solid on the road. Utah has a very balanced offense, and experienced roster and a great home court advantage. That could make them a team to watch when the NBA Playoffs begin this weekend.
Utah is led by Williams and Boozer but they also have Paul Millsap, Wesley Matthews and Mehmet Okur who can score. Utah needs to get Andrei Kirilenko healthy as he is one of their best defenders.