Can The Warriors Finish The First Half Above .500?
Warriors vs Jazz Betting Odds: Battle for .500 Record Intensifies Before All-Star Break
The Golden State Warriors will look to finish the first half of the season above .500. To do that, they’ll need a road win against the Utah Jazz tonight before the All-Star Weekend.
The Warriors watched a five-game winning streak snap last night to the Clippers. The Warriors lost 130-125, despite Stephen Curry‘s 41 points on 15-for-31 from the field.
The Clippers pulled away in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors had no answers down the stretch.
Meanwhile, the Jazz have lost three consecutive games, including last night’s loss to the Lakers, 138-122. The Lakers didn’t have LeBron James, but that didn’t stop Los Angeles from embarrassing the Jazz. The Jazz have allowed at least 129 points in their last three games, which all resulted in losses.
Therefore, the Warriors are still favorites on the road, sitting at -2 (-110). The total is currently at 237.5 in this enticing Western Conference matchup.
Let’s break down the Warriors vs Jazz betting odds for tonight’s showdown below.
Warriors vs Jazz 
Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Day/Time: Streaming: NBA League Pass
Warriors vs Jazz Betting Odds & Trends
The Warriors are currently at .500 with a 26-26 record. They’re slightly profitable against the spread and have hit the Over at a high rate throughout the season. On the road, the Warriors are just 12-11 and also in danger of falling to .500 away from home.
Conversely, the Jazz have a losing record straight up but have gone 31-24 against the spread this season. Like the Warriors, the Jazz have hit the Over at a high rate, hitting the Over in 31 of 55 games this season.
Utah is pathetic on the road. But they’re dominant at home, earning wins in 17 of 28 games this season. Knowing the Jazz are at home for this game, that’s something to monitor.
The Warriors defeated the Jazz on February 12, 129-107 in Utah as a one-point favorite. In this game, Golden State is a 2-point favorite on the road against the Jazz.
The Warriors Are Very Average
These aren’t our words. They’re Steph Curry’s.
After losing to the Clippers last night, Curry acknowledged that the Warriors were “very average.” He explained that “very average” won’t get it done in this league. He wants the Warriors to bounce back in this game and win every game at home while stealing some games on the road after returning from the All-Star Break.
Curry isn’t exactly wrong. This team is literally 26-26 and sitting at .500. That’s an average ballclub. But the Warriors are used to playing for Championships. They had built a dynasty with Curry leading the way.
Golden State still believes they can compete for a championship. But they’ll need a lot of things to go right for that to happen.
Lauri Markkanen Isn’t Getting Whistles
Lauri Markkanen has averaged 23.4 points per game. He’s also added 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists and has shot nearly 50% from the floor.
But when he gets fouled, he rarely gets the benefit of the doubt.
Markkanen hasn’t attempted more than four free throws in any game since January 18. It’s been nearly a month since the last time he got to the foul line at a high rate.
One of Utah’s theories is that they don’t have a star player who can get into the ear of the officials to get the fouls called.
Utah has put Markkanen in more isolation positions in the middle of the court, hoping to get more foul calls for him. We’ll see if it works.
More Points Against Utah!
The Utah Jazz have really struggled to defend recently. They’ve allowed at least 129 points in three straight games, including a 129-107 loss to Golden State three days ago.
In that game, Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 26 points on 11-for-19 from the field. While he’s aging and declining, his best game came against the Jazz this month. Curry also scored 25 points and added ten assists with six rebounds in the win.
The offense shouldn’t have any issues tonight, either.
The Warriors have scored 118.7 points per 100 possessions while hitting a 55.9% effective field goal percentage. Golden State has also earned 30.4% of offensive rebounds and won’t have to worry about turnovers against the Jazz.
Utah has earned only 12.1% of turnovers defensively. The Jazz have also allowed 120 points per 100 possessions and a 56.6% effective field goal percentage. Utah should keep the Warriors off the foul line at a consistent rate. But that’s the only area where Utah looks good in this matchup defensively against the Warriors.
On the flip side, the Jazz are just as good on the offensive glass, earning 32.3% of offensive rebounds. The difference between the Jazz and Warriors is that Utah turns the ball over 15.6% of the time, which is the most in the league.
The Jazz will earn second chances but also turn the ball over at a high rate. As for the foul line, Utah should start to get some calls. The Warriors have a 21.7 free throw rate defensively, which is 25th in the NBA.
Don’t expect the Jazz to shoot lights out from the field. However, Utah has still nailed a 54.6% effective field goal percentage. It’s also unlikely the Jazz will turn the ball over at a super high rate, despite turning it over the most in the NBA this season. That’s because the Warriors have earned just 12.6% of turnovers this season.
The Warriors and Jazz are fighting for a solid position in the NBA power rankings. Regarding the NBA player stats, it’s clear that both teams have legitimate offensive playmakers and less defense ability.
Therefore, after reviewing the Warriors vs Jazz betting odds, our NBA predictions have the Over 237.5 in this one.
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