LA Lakers at Utah Jazz Free NBA Pick for Feb 14

Los Angeles Lakers (29-26 SU, 25-30 ATS) vs. Utah Jazz (26-28 SU, 31-23 ATS)

When: Wednesday, February 14th, 9:00 PM (ET)

Where: Delta Center, UT, Salt Lake City

TV: KJZZ

Point Spread: LAL +5.5/UT -5.5

Total: 236.5

Money Line: Los Angeles Lakers +165/-200

Notable Injuries

Lakers

• Jarred Vanderbilt (Out) Foot
• Gabe Vincent (Out) Knee
• Cam Reddish (Out) Ankle
• Max Christie (Out) Ankle

Jazz

None

At 9:00 ET, the Utah Jazz (-200) will host the Los Angeles Lakers (+165) in a Western Conference matchup. The Jazz are currently favored by 5.5 points, and the over/under line is set at 236.5. The Lakers are 29-26 and have won two straight games, while the Jazz are 26-28 and have lost two in a row.

This game will be played at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City and can be seen on KJZZ.

Recent Form

In their last game against the Pistons, the Lakers won by a score of 125-111. The over/under line for that game was 243 points, and the Lakers were favored by 11.5 points going into the game.

Los Angeles has won two straight games and is currently 9th in the Western Conference with a record of 29-26. In the Pacific Division, they are in 4th place.

This season, the Lakers have an average over/under line of 231.7 points, which is lower than today’s line of 236.5. Their games have averaged a combined 233.7 points.

On the road, the Lakers have an ATS record of 11-16 and are 10-17 straight up. As the underdog, they are 12-13 vs. the spread.

In the Western Conference, the Lakers are 19-17 against other teams and 10-9 in non-conference games. Today, they are 5.5-point underdogs against the Jazz.

So far this season, the Jazz have an O/U record of 30-23-1, which includes 17-14-1 in games with lower over/under lines than today’s. On average, their games have finished with 237.6 points per game, compared to today’s line of 236.5.

Utah’s last game against the Warriors finished with a combined score of 236 points, which was below the O/U line of 240.5. The Jazz lost the game by a score of 129-107.

The Jazz are 11th in the Western Conference with a record of 26-28. In the West, they are 13-20 against other conference teams and 5-6 against the Northwest Division. At home, they are 17-8 compared to 9-20 on the road.

Against the spread, the Jazz are 31-23 for the season and have failed to cover in their last two games. At home, they are 18-7 ATS compared to 13-16 on the road.

As the favorite, the Jazz have a record of 11-3 this season and are favored by 5.5 points today. In non-conference games, they are 13-8 as the favorite.

The Historicals

Across the last 5 matchups between the teams, Utah has gone 4-1 vs the spread. However, the Lakers actually have a positive scoring margin in these games at +3 points per game. In these contests, they averaged a combined 251 points per game, leading to an over-under mark of 4-1.

Analysis

When it comes to scoring, the Lakers are 13th in the league at 116.6 points per game. On the road, they are averaging 115.8 points per game.

So far, the Lakers have outscored the NBA scoring average in 45.5% of their games. They are 6th in pace at 101.1 possessions per game.

When it comes to field goal percentage, the Lakers are 6th in the league at 49%. However, they are just 28th in three-point shooting at 36%.

On defense, the Lakers come into the game ranked 18th in the league in points allowed at 117.0 per game. Over their last three games, the team is allowing 115.7 points per contest (24th). On two point field goal attempts, the Lakers’ defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 53.9% and allowing 37.6% from beyond the arc.

At home, the Jazz are averaging 123.2 points per game this season, which is 4th in the NBA. Overall, they are 12th in scoring at 117.6 points per game. In terms of pace, Utah is 10th in the league at 100.2 possessions per game.

So far, the Jazz have outscored the NBA scoring average in 59.3% of their games. In terms of field goal percentage, they are 19th in the league at 47%. From three-point range, Utah is 13th in made threes at 13.1 per game.

When it comes to free throws, the Jazz are 7th in the NBA in made free throws at 19.1 per game. In terms of assists, they are 8th in the league at 28.3 per game. On the offensive glass, Utah is 2nd in the NBA with 12.8 offensive rebounds per game.

As they prepare for the upcoming game, the Jazz is focused on shoring up their defense, as they are currently allowing an average of 120.0 points per game (25th). When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Jazz squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 54.6% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 38.5% from downtown.

Betting Trends

• The Lakers are 2-1 ATS in their three last road games and 3-0 straight-up.
• Through their last three home games, Utah has an ATS record of just 0-3. However, their overall record was 0-3 while averaging 110 points per game.
• The last ten games that Los Angeles was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 5-5 straight up.
• The Jazz have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 3-2 straight up and 3-2 against the spread.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

Even though the Lakers aren’t the same team when playing on the road, I do like them in this spot as +5.5 point underdogs. LA has won two straight games and will be looking to close out strong before the All-Star Break. I’m taking the Lakers to cover at +5.5.