Utah (29-22) at Portland (31-20)
When: Wednesday, January 30th, 2019
Where: Moda Center,
Portland, Oregon
Time: 10:35 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: Portland -1/219
A couple of hot Western Conference teams will battle in the great Northwest as the Portland Trail Blazers host the surging Utah Jazz on Wednesday – live on ESPN. Golden State and Denver are securely in the top two spots in the West standings for now, but a handful of teams will be vying for seeds three and four. Right now, the Blazers own the No. 4 seed with Utah occupying the seventh seed, two games behind Portland. The Jazz are playing their best ball of the season, winning nine of their last ten behind a very productive backcourt. Ricky Rubio is back in the lineup after missing a few games with an injury and teamed with Donovan Mitchell for 47 points and 13 assists in a 125-111 win at Minnesota on Sunday. The Trail Blazers have ripped off five wins in their last six contests with their own dynamic backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, who recorded his first career triple-double in a 120-111 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. Portland hasn’t lost a home game since January 4th – a string of seven straight – and are 37-16-1 ATS in their last 54 games at Moda Center. Utah won the first two meetings this season, but Portland got the Jazz in Salt Lake City 109-104 just a week-and-a-half ago.
Mitchell is averaging 28.1 points on 45.1 percent shooting in January and has recorded at least 24 points in 12 straight games. That’s a far cry from his December when he averaged just 18.2 points while shooting 38.1 percent from the floor. Rubio has seen has minutes increase from 13 to 30 in the four games since returning from injury and has provided a spark to the Jazz offense. Forward Jae Crowder, who averages 12.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, has drained at least three 3-pointers in each of the last four games. The Jazz will begin a four-game homestand after Wednesday’s game in Portland.
McCollum (20.8 points) is averaging 26.3 points a game over the last three after recording 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against the Hawks. His backcourt mate Lillard sat out Saturday with a knee injury, but is expected to go Wednesday. Seth Curry got the start in place of Lillard and managed to record a season-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Portland will get a five-day break after this contest before hosting Miami next Tuesday.
I like the way both teams are playing, but Portland has been pretty solid at home lately and have been winning those by big margins. The Blazers got the better of the Jazz on the road on January 21st and I think will do the same again in the Moda Center. Portland is also a perfect 8-0 ATS in their last eight games on three days rest or more.
Pick: Blazers -1
- Jazz are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 Wednesday games.
- Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.
- Jazz are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Jazz are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. Western Conference.
- Jazz are 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games following a ATS win.
- Jazz are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
- Jazz are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Trail Blazers are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
- Trail Blazers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.
- Trail Blazers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Trail Blazers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Trail Blazers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
- Trail Blazers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Trail Blazers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Trail Blazers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Trail Blazers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win.
- Trail Blazers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. Western Conference.
- Trail Blazers are 37-16-1 ATS in their last 54 home games.
- Under is 5-0 in Jazz last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 5-1-1 in Jazz last 7 games playing on 2 days rest.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Jazz last 6 road games.
- Over is 4-1 in Jazz last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 4-1 in Jazz last 5 games following a ATS win.
- Under is 9-3-1 in Jazz last 13 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 8-3 in Jazz last 11 vs. Western Conference.
- Under is 8-3 in Jazz last 11 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
- Under is 13-5 in Jazz last 18 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 5-2 in Jazz last 7 vs. NBA Northwest.
- Under is 15-6-1 in Jazz last 22 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 12-5 in Jazz last 17 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 11-5-1 in Jazz last 17 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 15-7-1 in Jazz last 23 overall.
- Over is 4-0-1 in Trail Blazers last 5 home games.
- Under is 5-0 in Trail Blazers last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Over is 6-0-1 in Trail Blazers last 7 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1 in Trail Blazers last 6 overall.
- Over is 5-1-1 in Trail Blazers last 7 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 5-1 in Trail Blazers last 6 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1 in Trail Blazers last 6 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 13-3 in Trail Blazers last 16 vs. NBA Northwest.
- Over is 4-1 in Trail Blazers last 5 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Over is 10-3 in Trail Blazers last 13 Wednesday games.
- Under is 5-2 in Trail Blazers last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Under is 15-6 in Trail Blazers last 21 vs. Western Conference.
- Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings.
- Over is 15-6 in the last 21 meetings in Portland.
- Favorite is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings.
- Home team is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings.
- Jazz are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Portland.
