MONDAY MAY 10TH, 2010 – Los Angeles Lakers vs Utah Jazz
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Team records:
Utah: 53-29 SU, 49-30-3 ATS
Los Angeles: 57-25 SU, 34-46-2 ATS
They have beaten back the young and athletic Oklahoma City Thunder and they are about to bid adieu to the veteran and methodical Utah Jazz. They are about to take on the surprising Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference finals in which should be one heck of a series that should go at least six games and would not surprise anyone if it goes the distance.
Matchup: LAKERS vs. JAZZ
Time: Monday 10:30 ET
Venue: EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City
Spread: Jazz -2.5
Over/Under: 207
So how good are these Los Angeles Lakers and can they win yet another NBA title? Answers: Pretty good and yes.
The presence of Kobe Bryant as the offense-dominating superstar who gets the to the foul line whenever he wants and makes shot after shot late in games covers up somewhat the fact that no team in the league has a chance of matching the Lakers’ large, dominant and athletic front line.
Andrew Bynum has been in and out of the lineup often over the last few years, but when he’s on the court he makes life easier for the Lakers at both ends of the court. Assuming the Suns’ Amare Stoudemire is a power forward, the only center better than Bynum not on summer vacation is Orlando’s Dwight Howard.
Pau Gasol got exposed by Boston’s bigs in the 2008 Finals when he filled in for Bynum, but he is near impossible to contain when he and Bynum are on the court together. OKC’s inability to keep Gasol off the offensive boards in the final seconds of Game 6 kept the Thunder from forcing a Game 7 in the opening round.
And if opponents have never quite figured out Lamar Odom, neither have the Lakers. Odom is a 6-foot-10 small forward who can run the court, rebound, shoot the 3 and make life a living hell for opposing coaches. Occasionally he has mental lapses that make life a living hell for his own coaches. Whatever. Either way he’s trouble.
With a unique front line and the second-best player in the world controlling the ball, the Lakers can afford a dropoff at point guard, and anything they get from Derek Fisher is gravy.
Nice cast.
Lakers vs. Jazz Free NBA Prediction
Had the Jazz played this series at full strength and the Lakers missing two starting bigs, we would be having a much different conversation about now.
But ifs and buts don’t win playoff games, and everyone in the Association knows that the Jazz will be playing for a little pride and nothing else tonight. The series is deader than a mackerel. Utah lost to the Lakers in 5 last season and 6 the year before. Figure on 4 this time.
The over is 1-7 in all Jazz playoff games, but the bloated O/U of 207 is attractive for UNDER bettors.
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Lawrence Paul is a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog, and is a free-lance gambling and travel expert from Massachusetts.
