At the time of this writing, the following
Match Odds/Moneyline were available: Miami Heat (2, Even) and Utah Jazz (1.87, -115)
Miami has been on a roll since a players-only meeting on November 27 after a loss to the Dallas Mavericks and now will seek revenge against the Jazz from an earlier defeat at home. The Heat have won five games in a row by an average of 17.2 points, including an 88-78 win in Milwaukee last time out. The defense has been instrumental in the club's recent success, allowing an average of 82.2 points on 37.7 percent shooting over the last five games. "We understand that it takes defense to win," said guard Dwyane Wade. Some NBA experts are quick to point out that the team has faced inferior competition over the last couple weeks and will be tested in Salt Lake City tonight. Miami is 9-13 ATS on the year.
The Heat have compiled a 2-4 record against the Western Conference and is winless versus such opponents on the road. Last season, the two teams split the season series, 1-1, with each team winning on their home court. Miami dropped a 116-114 contest in overtime against Utah earlier in the year, failing to hold onto a 19-point third-quarter lead. Wade and LeBron James have really started to gel over the team's season-long winning streak, combining for 42 points in the recent win over the Bucks.
Utah enters with a solid 16-6 overall mark and is a perfect 8-0 versus the Eastern Conference this year, including a perfect 4-0 at EnergySolutions Arena. The Jazz are coming off a solid 94-85 home win over the Memphis Grizzlies and were led by point guard Deron Williams' 27 points. "I think this one was business as usual," said guard Raja Bell. "We understood what our week was after this game, but we understood this was a game we need to have going into a tough week." The team is 29-19 all-time against the Heat, including a 17-7 record at home. Utah is a perfect 8-0 ATS versus non-conference opponents.
The Jazz go as far as Williams takes them in the point guard position and he was recently named the Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in October/November. Utah has posted a 10-1 record when scoring 100-plus points in a game compared to an even 4-4 mark when scoring under 100. Offensively, the team has also been happy with the play of offseason acquisition Al Jefferson, who has managed to score over 17 points in seven of the last nine games.
Bettors will be interested in backing the Heat due to their 10-2 ATS mark in this series, while the Jazz are 7-2 ATS overall.
12-08-2010, 01:42 PM
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