Two of the top teams in the Western Conference are set to square off for an early-season matchup in Utah. The Jazz will host the LA Clippers on Wednesday night in a game that could definitely be a playoff preview in the West. Utah is always one of the toughest places for road teams to play, but the Clippers have the talent to get it done.
Both teams come into this game with 3-1 records, and they have both been solid to start the season. The Clippers’ lone loss came on the road in a game against the Phoenix Suns. Utah suffered a tough loss against the Los Angeles Lakers, but they are a perfect 2-0 at home so far this season. The Utah Jazz are -2.5 point favorites over the Los Angeles Clippers in this game.
Jazz Don’t Have Much Offense
The Utah Jazz are still looking for more offense as the 2019-20 season begins, but it’s hard to find much scoring on this roster. Donovan Mitchell is leading the team with 24.0 points per game, and Bojan Bogdanovic has chipped in with more than 23 points per contest. The Jazz like to slow things down on the offensive end of the floor, but they will need to hit some shots to stay in this game.
Defense has been the calling card for the Utah Jazz in recent seasons, and they look to be solid on that end of the floor again this season. The Jazz are giving up just 91.5 points per game so far this season, but that will be put to the test against the Clippers. Center Rudy Gobert is one of the most elite rim protectors in the NBA and leads the team with 11.8 rebounds and nearly one block per game.
Clippers Leading The West In Scoring
The LA Clippers are almost the exact opposite of the Utah Jazz, and they can score points in a hurry. The Clippers are playing the beginning of this season without Paul George, but they are still averaging a Western Conference-best 121.5 points per game. Kawhi Leonard leads this team with 27.0 points per game, but the Clippers have three different players averaging more than 20 points per game.
Los Angeles is giving up over 112 points per game this season, but they don’t mind speeding up the tempo. Leonard is one of the best defensive players in the NBA, but he will need some help as the season goes along. Young center Ivica Zubac is averaging 2.0 blocks per game and is turning into a great rim protector in his own right.
Clippers Pick Up Impressive Road Win
This game will be a contrast of styles, and whichever team can establish its identity will be the likely winner. Utah is always tough to deal with on its home floor, but the Clippers just have too much talent to lose this game. Los Angeles has too many weapons, and it will score a nice road win in this game. Bet the LA Clippers +2.5 over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
