Los Angeles Lakers visit Utah Jazz in NBA Western Conference clash
The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Utah Jazz this weekend. The Jazz will be the home team in this game. They are 20-17 while playing at home this season. The Lakers are 25-12 while playing on the road this year.
NBA Handicapping has the Lakers as one of the top favorites to win the NBA Championship at 5-2 in NBA Odds. Utah is out of playoff contention.
The Lakers have been absolutely on fire since the All-Star break. They have only lost one time since the break and they have won 7 games in a row. While there are only a few games left, the Lakers have also put to the pressure on San Antonio to win a few games before the season is over. They Lakers are 4 games behind San Antonio in the standings.
The Utah Jazz have fallen out of playoff contention and their hopes will be centered in the NBA Draft this offseason. They have had a dramatic drop since trading away Deron Williams. They are now 2 games under .500 on the season after having a promising chance to make the playoffs in a crowded Western Conference Playoff race.
The Lakers simply need their big men to continue to dominate the paint the way they have been. Andrew Bynum seems to be a new player as of late. He has offered defense and rebounding in a way that he has only shown for small stretches throughout his career. If he is able to continue playing this way the Lakers will have a solid shot at competing for the NBA title.
The Jazz need to find a way to force Kobe Bryant to take over the game. While he is a great player, the Lakers are a worse team when he tries to carry them on his back.
