The San Antonio Spurs (64-12) travel to Utah to play the Jazz (39-38) in a game that will likely be low scoring. The game starts at 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Apr. 5 and can be seen on RT and FSW.
The Jazz enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Suns 101-86 on Sunday. Gordon Hayward was the team’s leading scorer with 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting. The Spurs, meanwhile, are coming off a 102-95 win over the Raptors on Saturday. Kawhi Leonard led the game in scoring by posting 33 points on 10-for-17 shooting.
Over the last five games, Rodney Hood has been playing at a high level for the Jazz, averaging 20.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.6 blocks, and 3.8 three-pointers. On the other side, the Spurs have been led by LaMarcus Aldridge. He has been on a tear, averaging 26.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.5 blocks in the same time frame.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the NBA’s slowest-paced teams square off. Utah ranks 30th in the league in possessions per game (94.1), while San Antonio is 28th (95.1).
The Spurs have emerged victorious in all three games against the Jazz this year, including a 96-78 blowout in their last matchup. In the victory, Leonard led all scorers on the team with 29 points.
The Jazz are attempting to build on their records of 39-38 Straight Up (SU) and 39-37-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 39-38 SU and 39-37-1 ATS versus the Western Conference.
In the other locker room, San Antonio has a SU record of 64-12 and an ATS record of 43-33. San Antonio performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. San Antonio is the top shooting team in the league, making .488 of its shots from the floor. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, nobody is better than the Spurs. They are the top assist-to-turnover ratio team in the league at 1.96. The Spurs are the top defensive team in the league, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 92.6 points allowed per game. The San Antonio defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing .435 shooting from the field to its opponents.
The Spurs’ win over Utah in their last clash moved their SU record in the last 10 against Utah to 8-2. The Spurs also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA
Notes
“Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“Utah is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Utah’s last 12 games “.
“Utah is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Utah is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah’s last 5 games at home”.
“Utah is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio”.
“Utah is 4-20 SU in its last 24 games when playing San Antonio”.
“Utah is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against San Antonio”.
“Utah is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against San Antonio”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Utah’s last 9 games when playing at home against San Antonio”.
Utah averages 99.0 points per home game this season. However, San Antonio is the top-ranked team in points allowed on the road, giving up just 94.3 points per game.
When the Jazz give up fewer than 100 points to their opponents, they are 36-12. When the Spurs score fewer than 100 points, they also have a winning record (16-10).
The Utah Jazz have a subpar 3-26 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The San Antonio Spurs are 48-2 when they hit triple digits.
The Spurs have the league’s top defense, with a defensive rating of 96.6. The Jazz have an offensive rating of 104.0 (ranked 15th).
With 94.1 possessions and 1.040 points per possession, the Utah Jazz perform worse on both metrics than the San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio averages 95.1 possessions and 1.096 points per possession.
The San Antonio Spurs have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking second in the league with an EFF% of 53.0%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Utah Jazz have an abysmal 5-17 record.
San Antonio, the third-ranked team in terms of assists, makes an average of 24.8 per game. Utah ranks lower at 28th with 19.0.
San Antonio ranks near the top of the league in blocking at fourth (6.0 blocks per game). Utah is ranked 13th, with 5.2 blocks per game.
Utah ranks in the top half of the NBA in offensive rebounding at 10th, while San Antonio ranks near the top of the league (fifth) in defensive rebounding.
On average, Utah makes 7.8 steals per game. San Antonio has an exceptional 34-7 record when it gives up at least 7 steals.
