Things are beginning to heat up at the bottom half of the playoff race in the Western Conference, with just 2 games separating the 6th seed from the 9th. There are also still a couple of teams in the chasing pack who may yet be able to make an impact. Just look at the Portland Trail Blazers (9-1 in their last 10 games) as the perfect example of a team that can come out of nowhere to take a real run at a playoff spot. The Utah Jazz are currently occupying the 9th seed in the West, but are just a half game back of the Houston Rockets in 8th. A win for the Jazz in this game could send them into a playoff position, and perhaps serve as the sort of confidence booster they need to finish the regular season on a winning run. This should be a close game with both teams bidding for those final playoff spots and a sure deal NBA betting duel to wager on.

