The Utah Jazz (46-31, 19-20 away) take on the Golden State Warriors (48-29, 29-10 home) in a Western Conference battle between two teams still trying to clinch their playoff spot. Golden State has taken two of three from the Jazz in previous games played this season.
Saturday’s contest tips off at 8:30 p.m. EST inside the Chase Center in San Francisco, CA. Utah is a 2-point road favorite, and the over-under total is at 217.5 points.
What to Know – Utah Jazz
Utah comes into Saturday’s matchup losing its last five road contests. The Jazz sit in fifth place in the Western Conference and are 4-6 over their last ten games.
On offense, the Jazz are fourth in the West, averaging 113.4 points per game behind 47.2% shooting from the field and 36.3 from the 3-point line.
Utah’s defense also ranks fourth in the division, surrendering 107.8 points per game, 45.4% shooting from the floor, and 34.9% from beyond the arc.
On Thursday night, Utah snapped a five-game losing skid with a 122-109 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points, while Rudy Gobert added 25 points and 17 rebounds. The Jazz shot 51.1% from the field and held the Lakers to 7-of-25 shooting from deep.
The Jazz are 31-44-2 against the spread this season with a 15-23-1 record ATS on the road. Utah is 0-6 ATS in its last six contests, including 0-5 ATS in road matchups.
What to Know – Golden State Warriors
The Warriors have struggled recently without the presence of Steph Curry in the lineup. The All-Star guard will miss the remainder of the regular season but reportedly be back for the playoffs. Golden State is third in the West and 3-7 over its previous ten matchups.
Golden State’s offense is eighth in the West, scoring 110.7 points per game while hitting 46.6% of their shots from the floor and 35.9% from deep. The Warriors’ defense is second in the conference limiting teams to 105.7 points per game, 44.0% shooting from the field, and 34.2% from three.
Phoenix dealt the Warriors their fourth straight loss and seventh in eight games in a 107-103 victory on Wednesday. Jordan Poole tied a career-high with 38 points filling in for the injured Curry. Andrew Wiggins chipped in 19, and Klay Thompson added 13 in the losing effort.
Golden State is 37-36-4 ATS and sports a 21-16-2 record at home. The Warriors are 2-6 ATS in their previous eight games.
The Pick is In
A pair of teams that are on the verge of securing that playoff bid tangle Saturday night in the Bay area. Both franchises aren’t playing their best basketball, and with just a week left of action, they’ll want to get things going in the right direction for the postseason.
The loss of Curry has proven too much for Golden State as they’ve struggled offensively with his absence. Utah turned things around on Thursday with their win over the Lakers, and they’ll add another road win to their record against the Warriors.
Betting Pick: Utah Jazz -2
