A low-scoring game should be expected when the San Antonio Spurs (34-20) and the Utah Jazz (23-28) square off at AT&T Center. The game is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 3, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 195 points with San Antonio set as a 6-point favorite.
Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs ATS Prediction
The last time the Jazz played, they blew out the Phoenix Suns, 129-97. The Jazz, who came into the game averaging an offensive rebounding percentage of 20.0, had a mark of 25.7 and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.650 (above their season average of 0.518). Utah rallied around Donovan Mitchell, who was the game’s high scorer with 40 points on 14-for-19 shooting.
The Spurs lost to the Houston Rockets in their last outing, 102-91. Houston’s turnover percentage was their largest advantage over San Antonio. The Rockets had a rate of 9.0 (better than their season average of 12.7), while the Spurs posted a mark of 15.0. San Antonio’s Danny Green had a solid game, leading the team in scoring with 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting.
Half-court execution will be at a premium when two of the league’s slowest-paced teams face off. San Antonio currently ranks 29th in possessions per game (95.8) and Utah is 24th (97.3). Furthermore, second chance points figure to be tough to come by for the Jazz. They rank 25th in the league in offensive rebounding percentage at 20.1 percent, while the Spurs are fifth-best on the defensive glass (defensive rebounding percentage of 79.3 percent).
Utah heads into the game with records of 23-28 straight up (SU) and 26-24 against the spread (ATS). A little over half of the Jazz’s games have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, San Antonio owns records of 34-20 SU and 27-23-4 ATS. Vegas tends to place the total high when the Spurs are involved, as 31 of their 50 games have ended under the O/U total.
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Derrick Favors (12.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks) has been stellar for the Jazz while Dejounte Murray (10.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals) has contributed greatly to the Spurs.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. Rodney Hood scored a game-high 29 points in the first game, in which the Jazz, who were 2-point underdogs, beat the Spurs 100-89. The game finished with a total of 189 points, which was 5.5 points below the projected point total of 194.5 points. The Jazz knocked down 20 of their 24 free throws (83.3 percent) and had a better turnover percentage (12.4 vs. 14.1).
Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs Odds Pick
Free Pick: SU Winner – Spurs, ATS Winner – Jazz, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Utah is 11-15 ATS on the road with 13 overs, 12 unders and 1 push.
At home, San Antonio is 17-9-1 ATS with 14 overs and 13 unders.
San Antonio is 22-10 when they hold opponents below 100 points, while Utah is 14-4.
In games where they reach the century mark, the Jazz are 19-11 and the Spurs are 27-3.
Utah ranks second in steals per game (9.2) while San Antonio ranks 19th (7.4).
The Jazz rank 11th in three pointers attempted per game (29.7) while the Spurs rank 27th (24.4).
San Antonio ranks third in blocks per game (5.5) while Utah ranks 13th (4.8).
The Spurs rank 15th in second chance points per game (12.7) while the Jazz rank 25th (10.6).
Utah ranks third in fast break points allowed per game (9.4) while San Antonio ranks 13th (11.2).
The Spurs rank ninth in rebounds per game (44.4) while the Jazz rank 15th in rebounds allowed per game (42.9).
San Antonio ranks fifth in points allowed in the paint per game (41.9) while Utah ranks 10th (42.5).
The Jazz rank 10th in points off turnovers per game (17.2) while the Spurs rank 12th in points off turnovers allowed per game (15.7).
Utah ranks fourth in assists allowed per game (20.5) while San Antonio ranks sixth (20.9).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Utah is 4-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
San Antonio is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Jazz’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 11.0, up from 0.5 for the season.
During their last five games, the Spurs have scored an average of 99.2 points per game (1.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 97.2 points per game (0.4 below their season average).
