The Los Angeles Lakers host the Utah Jazz on Sunday, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet.
This will be the Lakers’ final regular-season game before they get a week off in advance of the start of the NBA playoffs. They have a 52-29 record, and depending on what happens on Sunday, they will finish with either the third or fourth seed in the Western Conference.
A win over the struggling Jazz, who are tied for last place in the West with a 22-59 record, and a San Antonio Spurs victory over the Denver Nuggets would make the Lakers the third seed and set them up to play the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. Otherwise, they will face the Houston Rockets as the fourth seed in the West.
Utah will sit eight of its players, including several of its key men, which means a Los Angeles victory seems highly probable.
The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
Lakers vs Jazz injury reports
Jazz: Isaiah Collier (left hamstring strain), Kyle Filipowski (low back injury management), Keyonte George (right hamstring strain), Elijah Harkless (left hamstring strain), Jaren Jackson Jr. (left knee injury recovery), Walker Kessler (left shoulder injury recovery), Lauri Markkanen (right hip impingement) and Jusuf Nurkic (nose injury recovery) are out.
Lakers: Jaxson Hayes (left foot injury management) and LeBron James (left foot injury management) are questionable. Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (left oblique muscle strain) are out.
Advice and Prediction:
How much do the Lakers want to win this game and keep their hopes for the third seed alive? Will they prioritize rest for LeBron James, who has been playing very well in the absence of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, or will they look to get a few more reps with this short-handed unit before the postseason starts?
In either case, there seems to be no excuse for L.A. to lose this game, given how depleted the Jazz will be. Interestingly, the Jazz are eighth in points per game and second in assists per game, but they rank poorly in many other categories. Most notably, they’re 29th in defensive rating, and with Walker Kessler, Jusuf Nurkic and Lauri Markkanen out, they will likely be weak on the boards.
As long as the Lakers don’t look ahead to the start of the playoffs, they should get themselves a win here.
Prediction: Lakers 118, Jazz 108
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Prediction and betting odds for Lakers vs. Jazz
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
