Jazz vs. Warriors Game 1 Pick
After a long layoff, will the Golden State Warriors show any rust when they host the Utah Jazz for Game 1 tonight at 10:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Golden State is the clear favorite in Game 1, as the Warriors are getting odds of -13.5 points against the Jazz. The over/under total for the game is listed at 207 points. These two teams met three times during the season, with Golden State winning two of the three meetings and Utah covering the spread in two of the three encounters.
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Golden State rolled in the opening round of the playoffs, beating Portland in four games. They went 3-1 against the spread in the series and now sit at 71-15 overall, 38-5 at home and 43-40-3 against the spread. The Warriors are averaging 116.1 points per game on offense while allowing 104.1 on defense. Stephen Curry averaged 29.8 points and 6.5 assists per game during the playoff series while Kevin Durant averaged 21 points and 7 rebounds in the two games he appeared in.
The Jazz are coming off a 104-91 win over the Clippers on Sunday to win their first-round series in seven games. Utah won three of the last four games in the series and also went 5-2 against the spread in the series. The Jazz are now 55-34 overall, 25-20 on the road and 41-44-4 against the spread. Utah averages just 100.6 points per game on offense this season, but the defense holds opponents to 96.8 per game. Gordon Hayward averaged 23.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game to lead Utah in the playoff series. George Hill added 16.9 points per contest.
While Utah is a good defensive team, the Jazz aren’t going to be able to hold the Warriors in check. Golden State should still get its looks around the arc and be able to put up a high number. Utah doesn’t have a lot of great offensive diversity and the Jazz also should be worn out from a 7-game series that ended just 48 hours ago. While the Warriors could start slow from a 1-week layoff, I still think their offensive firepower will lead to a big win in the end.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS -13.5