NBA Basketball
2006-01-01 - Utah Jazz at LA Lakers
A Sports Betting Pick by Ermine
Utah @ LA Lakers ....STANDINGS:
Jazz - 4th place, 1 1/2 GB, Northwest Division.
Lakers - 4th place, 4 GB, Pacific Division.
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Jazz -
(F) Kirilenko,
(F) Okur,
(C) Jarron Collins,
(G) Gordan Giricek,
(G) Keith McLeod.
Lakers -
(F) Brian Cook,
(F) Odom,
(C) Chris Mihm,
(G) Smush Parker,
(G) Devean George.
TEAM LEADERS:
Jazz - Okur, 17.9 ppg and 9.1 rpg; Williams, 4.9 apg.
Lakers - Bryant, 32.7 ppg; Odom, 9.4 rpg and 5.3 apg.
SEASON SERIES:
Lakers, 1-0.
LAST MEETING:
Dec. 1; Lakers, 105-101 (OT). At Salt Lake City
ROAD/HOME RECORDS:
Jazz - 7-8 on the road
Lakers - 6-7 at home.
ANALYSIS
The Lakers will be playing without Kobe Bryant tonight. He was suspended for a flagrant foul he committed on Wednesday against Memphis. He elbowed Mike Miller in the throat.
Bryant averages 32.7 pts/game and also takes over one third of the Lakers shots. That kind of production will be very difficult to replace.
Utah has played well against the Lakers even when Kobe is in the lineup. They have won 7 of the last 9 meetings Against the Spread versus the Lakers.
Utah is 9-6 Against the Spread, on the road. LA is only 4-9 Against the Spread, at home.
With Andrei Kirilenko finally healthy and having a few games under his belt, and Mehmet Okur playing his best basketball of the season. I think Utah should cover against a Kobeless Lakers.
Gooner’s Statistical Value Bet
Take UTAH with a few points start to beat a Kobe-less Lakers.
