Clippers at Jazz Odds & Pick for Game 1

Los Angeles Clippers (47-25 SU, 39-32 ATS) at Utah Jazz (52-20, 41-31), 6/8/21

When: 9 pm ET Tuesday, June 8

Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena

TV: TNT

Point spread: LAC +4/Utah -4

Total: 220.5

The Utah Jazz, fresh off a relatively easy disposing of Memphis in a first-round series, meet the Los Angeles Clippers, fresh off a long, tough series victory over Dallas, in a Western Conference semifinals playoff series beginning with Game 1 Tuesday night in Salt Lake City. Utah, with home-court advantage, is lined as a -135 favorite to win this series, with Los Angeles getting +115 as the underdog. Here’s our homework on Game 1, along with today’s free NBA pick.

NBA Playoffs Betting Odds

The NBA playoffs betting market opened Utah at -3.5 for this Game 1, with an over/under of right around 221. Early betting action then bumped the Jazz to -4 and dipped that total to 220.5.

Bettors looking to eschew the point spread on this game could get the Jazz at -172 on the Game 1 money line at SportsBetting.ag or Los Angeles at +160 at Intertops.

Clippers-Jazz NBA Playoffs Betting Preview

Los Angeles reached this Western Conference semifinals series by coming from behind to beat Dallas in seven games in that first-round series, clinching it with a 126-111 Game 7 victory last Sunday. The Clippers actually lost the first two games of that series at home and later trailed three games to two, then won the previous two. So they never led that series until the buzzer sounded Sunday.

Utah, meanwhile, reached this conference semifinals series by beating Memphis in five games in that first-round series, clinching it with a 126-110 Game 5 victory last Wednesday. The Jazz actually lost the first game of that series at home and without Donovan Mitchell, then won the next four in a row, three by double-digits, with Mitchell averaging 29 points per.

Utah finished five games ahead of Los Angeles in the regular-season standings, 52-20 to 47-25, and took the season series from the Clippers two games to one. The Jazz won the first meeting with LA back on New Year’s Day 106-100, winning outright as 3.5-point home dogs. Utah then took the second meeting 114-96 in February, covering as a 6.5-point favorite at the Staples Center, in a game Paul George and Kawhi Leonard both missed for Los Angeles. The Clippers then took the third meeting two days later 116-112 with George and Leonard, covering as one-point favorites.

On the injury front, Utah G Mike Conley (16 points, six assists per game this season) is listed as questionable for Game 1 with a bad hammy while Clippers F Serge Ibaka (11 points, seven rebounds PG this season) is out with a bad back.

These two teams last met in a playoff series back in 2017, when the Jazz took the first-round series from Los Angeles in seven games.

Clippers-Jazz NBA Betting Trends

• The Clippers played 21-15 SU, 18-17 ATS on the road this season.
• The Jazz played 31-5 SU, 23-13 ATS at home this season.
• The Clippers played 19-18 SU, 20-17 ATS against teams that made the playoffs this season.
• The Jazz played 22-14 SU, 21-15 ATS vs. teams that made the playoffs this season.

Totals Report

Totals split 35-35 in Clippers games this season, which averaged 222 points.

Unders played 38-33 in Jazz games this season, which averaged 224 points.

Unders played 2-0-1 in Clippers-Jazz games this season, which averaged 215 total points against an average O/U of 225.

Free NBA Playoffs Pick

Our guess is this series goes seven games with a lot of good, tough, close basketball. So a couple of buckets on the betting line might come in real handy. Also, two of three meetings between these teams this season played close, and the one that didn’t came about because of the absence of LA’s two best players. Also, we believe it might actually work to the Clippers’ advantage, having played more recently. We like Los Angeles and the points here for our free NBA pick for Tuesday. Bet your NBA playoffs picks FREE this week by taking advantage of a 100% REAL CASH bonus offer on your first deposit of $100 to $300 at MyBookie Sportsbook! (Must use bonus code PREDICT100 to receive the special bonus).