As much fun as conference games are, it’s always exciting to see a pair of good non-conference teams go head to head. That is what we will get this Saturday night when the Boston Celtics go on the road to face the Utah Jazz. Boston have been quietly sneaking up the standings this season, and now find themselves in the second spot in the Easter Conference, just 2.5 games back of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Utah Jazz are also having themselves a very nice season, sitting in the #4 seed in the West. They don’t appear to have much of a shot at running down the Warriors and Spurs at the top of the standings, but if they could maintain their top 4 spot, they would have home court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs, which would be a nice little consolation prize. Both of these teams will want to finish strong in the second half, and that all begins by being able to get wins against the better teams in the NBA. Find the updated NBA betting spreads here.
Boston At Utah Free NBA Betting Odds, Pick & TV Info
When: Saturday, February 11 at 10 PM EST
Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Utah
Live Stream:Watch NBANBA Odds: TBA
Why bet on the Boston Celtics
This will be the third game of this road trip for the Celtics, and they are coming into this one having split their previous two. The Celtics have been doing their best work on home court this season, but are still a respectable 14-11 on the road. They are also playing some solid basketball of late, going 8-2 in their last 10 games. If there is one sore point with this team, it has to be how they have performed against the better teams in this league. Boston Celtics has feasted on teams below .500, going 24-7 versus that group, but they ae just 10-12 versus teams with a winning record. That is something they are going to need to improve upon if they are to get the win in Utah on Saturday night.
Why bet on the Utah Jazz
The Jazz have been a very pleasant surprise this season, and are fully deserving of their number 4 seed. They have taken full advantage of a less than impressive season from the OKC Thunder to forge a 3-game lead atop the Northwest Division, and they have done so by playing consistent basketball at home and on the road. They do have a better record in their own building, going 19-9 to this point in the season. They have lost back to back meetings to the Celtics, but both of those losses came on the road, including one earlier this season. Their last home tilt versus Boston was last season, and it was Utah who came out on top in that one.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
This has all the makings of a good battle, and I think it will stay close from start to finish. I do like the Jazz to come away with the win in the end, though.
