Utah +4.5 vs. the Lakers

[ZigZags]

i completely agree, anyone who thinks b2b2b matters that much to bet it blindly on the opening week of nba is insane. Do you guys realize the flight from LA to sac is like an hour???

Your missing the point here, which is that the lakers lost yesterday because they couldn't contain cousins. Plus, sac shot lights out yesterday. So now you have utah, who's playing their first game today. I know millsap is a game time decision, but they SHOULD win the low post battle. favors+millsap+kanter+ okur will beat gasol and mcroberts any day. Bottom line is vegas got this spot on imo. 4.5 is just enough for utah backers to not want to bet utah ats, really close spread and if lakers win i don't think it'll be that close. Much more value taking the utah ML or bet it live

Okur isn't on the Jazz anymore.

[sexmann]

there are much more games on the card tonight ... just skip this one

[Snowball]

I completely understand the Lakers fatigue argument,
but I don't think they lose 2 home games in a row
especially against a bunch of scrubs like the Jazz.

[Baller85]

Definitely going with Utah +4.5 on this one. I would probably stay away from the ML though.

[BigDofBA]

I agree that it's overrated -- but in the Lakers' case, there may be something to it given the age and general shape of their star players (with Kobe and Pau already banged up).

Well then the angle for taking Utah should be that the Lakers are banged up and just not as good of a team as they have been.

Playing B2B nights shouldn't effect the best athletes in the world that much.

"How is Fisher going to guard Harris?"

That has nothing to do with playing back to back. It has to do with match ups. See
My point?

When teams go on the road and play B2B, they probably have a goal of splitting the games or winning at least one. That's probably why you see them struggle in the second game as opposed ti the first game if they win. They relax a bit because psychologically, they already accomplished their goal.

These guys practice everyday. I don't see how they could be tired after having to play two 48 minute games in two days.

How do you guys think athletes train anyway? Guys like Jordan were hitting the weighs for over an hour everyday at 6 a.m. Did they get overworked from working out two days in a row?? Lmao.

Didn't Uconn win 4 games in 4 days to win the Big Easy tournement? That didn't hurt a bunch of college kids.

The game is 48 minutes with tons of timeouts, stoppages in play, and halftimes. Not to mention players come out for periods of time. I would venture to guess that these guys have a lot harder off-season workouts that are part if their daily routine.

[Vesuvius]

I dont see how the lakers are favored by this much on their 3rd b2b game.. yes they are looking for that 1st win but damn.., books are saying jazz must suck

[reallydog]

what you have to realize is that the Lakers are used to winning. yes they are short handed and tired from playing 2 games already, but do you honestly think they will go 0-3, with 2 losses at home. they will give a max effort tonight and utah is a terrible road team. Kobe has to much pride, look for him to get over 35 tonight. im actually taking lakers ml tonight -210. i just dont see them going 0-3 against one of the worst road teams, kobe will be too pissed to be tired and teammates will follow his energy and lead tonight.

[reallydog]

There is also lots of pressure on the new coach to win a game so he will be all over them if they dont hussle on defense

[MatI]

what you have to realize is that the Lakers are used to winning. yes they are short handed and tired from playing 2 games already, but do you honestly think they will go 0-3, with 2 losses at home. they will give a max effort tonight and utah is a terrible road team. Kobe has to much pride, look for him to get over 35 tonight. im actually taking lakers ml tonight -210. i just dont see them going 0-3 against one of the worst road teams, kobe will be too pissed to be tired and teammates will follow his energy and lead tonight.

So they weren't trying the first two games but will try now because they are a winning team and don't want to go 0-3?

In that case, I will take Jazz...

[BigDofBA]

Okur isn't on the Jazz anymore.

Yeah...you have to love people that are really confident on a side and don't even know who is on the team.

It's kind if reminds me of people telling me Texas would beat OU this year because they were the home team. (Game is on a neutral field).

Or

People taking the under in a bowl game because it's played in Detroit. (Bowl game was in a dome).

I think the line is about right. I would play LA but am laying off.

[BettingWizard]

i don't see how you can say 3 games in 3 days is not bad against a team that is completely fresh

plus the lakers aren't that good anyway

[BernardMadoff]

Utah will try really hard to give the Lakers their 3rd straight loss, cant wait to see Raja Bell against Kobe,
not a fan of Bell's offensive game, not sure how he's still starting in this league, but I love his feistiness.

[BigDofBA]

i don't see how you can say 3 games in 3 days is not bad against a team that is completely fresh plus the lakers aren't that good anyway

Then go big on Utah, on the road, against the Lakers.

[smallbluedonkey]

b2b2b stats from 1998
Teams playing their third game in 3 days:
35-28-1 ATS (23-8-1 on the road, 12-20-0 at home)
37-27-0 O/U (17-15-0 on the road, 20-12-0 at home)

So the stats from 1998 say bet UTAH and the OVER

[BernardMadoff]

what you have to realize is that the Lakers are used to winning. yes they are short handed and tired from playing 2 games already, but do you honestly think they will go 0-3, with 2 losses at home. they will give a max effort tonight and utah is a terrible road team. Kobe has to much pride, look for him to get over 35 tonight. im actually taking lakers ml tonight -210. i just dont see them going 0-3 against one of the worst road teams, kobe will be too pissed to be tired and teammates will follow his energy and lead tonight.

Same thing was said 1000 times last year when Lakers lost to Utah and Indiana, everybody said no way the Lakers lose 3 straight, they went on to lose
the next two also.

[BernardMadoff]

Besides Utah did beat them last year at Staples, with Bynum having 23 boards.

[bringdownthehous]

I'm a fan of Utahs youth...I think favors and hayward will suprise people watching the game tonight..Ive already made my points, but anyways should be fun to watch...either way Ill enjoy seeing how kobe responds to this early season adversity

[BernardMadoff]

I completely understand the Lakers fatigue argument,
but I don't think they lose 2 home games in a row
especially against a bunch of scrubs like the Jazz.

I expect you to know better.

[BernardMadoff]

There is also lots of pressure on the new coach to win a game so he will be all over them if they dont hussle on defense

Im sure he was on them for the first two games also.

[BettingWizard]

Then go big on Utah, on the road, against the Lakers.

OK

[lakerboy]

bad bet considering utah is now +5.5

[bringdownthehous]

bad bet considering utah is now +5.5

we'll be okay...public always bets on the "lakers"...the name that is haha, half of the public prob thinks bynums playing tonight lol

[BigDofBA]

bad bet considering utah is now +5.5

LOL at people loading up on the Jazz.

This isn't the Bulls and this isn't the Kings at home opening night. That was a huge game for Sacramento for a variety of reasons.

I realize the public typically always like the Lakers but I feel like this is a good spot to play them. How tired can they be? They have been off all winter and have only played two games.

I would worry more about the injuries if anything.

[BigDofBA]

we'll be okay...public always bets on the "lakers"...the name that is haha, half of the public prob thinks bynums playing tonight lol

And some of the people in this thread that are taking Utah think that Okur is still on the team. LOL.

[bringdownthehous]

And some of the people in this thread that are taking Utah think that Okur is still on the team. LOL.

Haha can't argue with that one lol...wasn't me

[Ambition]

Lakers under 95.5?????

[reallydog]

Same thing was said 1000 times last year when Lakers lost to Utah and Indiana, everybody said no way the Lakers lose 3 straight, they went on to lose the next two also.

you are correct, but not to go down 0-3 after so many people are saying they are done. of course they were trying to win the first 2 games but we all know there are times where the team has something extra to prove and they just husstle more. we have all seen it a million times. I hope im right, we will find out soon. gl to all

[BettingWizard]

wtf when does the game start?

[MatI]

started

[Antwon1825]

Lakers are gunna stomp

[bringdownthehous]

Lakers are gunna stomp

pretty easy to make a call half way thru the game....this game shud be a lot closer, utah jus cant finish at the rim right now

[RITZ]

Lakers are stomping/41-31 half but this is the NBA where no lead is safe and backdoors are left open.

[BigDeem5]

To take Utah here you have to be an idiot. You can "lean" it but to play it, you're nuts. Lakers are 0-2. Do you really think the Lakers are going to lose in Staple Center to a Jazz team who won't smell the playoffs and start 0-3? Unless backdoor, this is the safest bet this season so far.

[MatI]

Only 10 points to Lakers and utah shooting 26% to Lakers 40%. I think Jazz will cover this easy if they can hit at better %.

[Dexter]

About time someone says this. I think everyone is jumping to conclusions to quick on on these b2b2bs. It's not like Sacramento is a 5 hour flight to and from LA. It's just how will their legs hold up. I've already seen that Dexter is auto fading teams on their 3rd game in a row as long as their opponent has at least 1 day rest. I think that is a bit premature since we are yet to see how a team does in b2b2b situation. Lets be patient and see how this all plays out. But last time I checked, the Lakers still have Kobe and Gasol, and the Jazz were not very good last year, and this is in LA (but LA's home crowd sucks)

how do you "wait" to see how it plays out? if you wait and watch that teams are terrible in this spot, then you jump on when you already missed say a 5-1 start.

chasing runs, hot handicappers etc is always a losing angle to take.

stick with something you believe in, and ride it out....