Injuries Crushing Both Teams
The Utah Jazz hope to avoid falling lower than the fifth seed in the Western Conference. That task could be tricky on Tuesday as they’ll be without a number of players available for their visit to the Los Angeles Clippers.
If you bet online, note that Hassan Whiteside, Bojan Bogdanovic and possibly Rudy Gobert may all be unavailable for the Jazz. That will impact the NBA odds.
As for the Los Angeles Clippers, they have dealt with bad injury luck all season and still sit in the eighth seed. Players like Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell are among the players still out.
The Jazz have dominated the series this season. Is another big win in the cards for them?
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and NBA odds for Jazz vs Clippers. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Jazz Falling Apart as Postseason Nears
Most playoff-bound teams look to hone in and focus as the regular season winds down. For the Jazz, this hasn’t been the case. They have lost four in a row now, with two of them being decided by at least 14 points.
Part of the issue has been injuries. Missing bigs in the center of their lineup has hurt. Hassan Whiteside’s absence could be filled in if Gobert plays on Tuesday, but if both of them sit out again, the defense will suffer.
Without those two in the paint, the size just isn’t there for the Jazz to defend at a high level. It also forces a ton of pressure on Donovan Mitchell and others to create their own shots as consistent screens won’t be available.
Utah still fields a very talented roster. The Jazz can’t use injuries as an excuse here as their opponent is even more hampered by them.
Clippers Reeling
We have seen Los Angeles Clippers battle through adversity all season and stay alive in the playoff race despite the injuries that they were facing. However, it seems like these wins are much harder to come by as the season winds down.
Paul George is nearing a return, but that won’t be for another week, leaving them without reinforcements against Utah. Los Angeles has lost five straight and eight out of its last 10 games, allowing its last three opponents to score over 120 points.
Somebody on the roster needs to take the reins back and lead them out of this horrid stretch. Reggie Jackson has been the consistent leader with so many of their star players out of commission.
He averages 16.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists. They will need more than just Jackson to come alive if they want to win.
Jazz vs Clippers Head-to-Head
The Utah Jazz have had the upper hand in meetings this season, stomping the Clippers both times.
They won the first matchup between these two teams by 21 points back in mid-December. They then knocked off the Clippers for the second time last week by a 29-point margin.
Jazz vs Clippers Game Information
- Game: Jazz (45-30) vs Clippers (36-39)
- Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- Day/Time: Tuesday, March 29th. 10 p.m. ET
- Life Stream: NBA Game Pass
Jazz vs Clippers Betting Lines
Jazz vs Clippers Prediction
The Clippers are a 1½-point underdog in the sportsbook as they have found ways to stay alive this season. They seem to be locked firmly into the No. 8 seed in the West.
They are a few games above the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans, and well behind the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
However, this is a difficult matchup. They are getting steamrolled defensively lately and seem to be exhausted on the offensive end with no star power.
Plus, Utah has crushed Los Angeles in the previous two matchups. Even if the Jazz don’t hit the court with Gobert, they are still a more talented roster than Los Angeles and should be able to prevail. Take the Jazz with your NBA picks.
Pick: Utah Jazz -1½
