Jazz vs Clippers series betting picks – NBA West semifinals

The Utah Jazz will be hoping to continue their strong season with a series win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Here is our in-depth betting preview for the Jazz vs Clippers series in the NBA Western Conference semifinals, kicking off on Tuesday, June 8 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.

Utah Jazz vs LA Clippers series preview

The Jazz (56-21), who finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA, lost their series opener to the Memphis Grizzlies after Donovan Mitchell was ruled out of the game with a lingering ankle injury. Mitchell returned to the court in Game 2 and the Jazz cruised to a 4-0 record over the next four games in the series, winning by an average margin of 11.3 points. The 24-year-old shooting guard enjoyed a breakout season in 2020-21 with 26.4 points and 5.2 assists per game and looked sharp in the first round with 28.5 points per game.

The Clippers (51-28) lost their first two games at home to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. This put Los Angeles in the unenviable position of needing to win four of the next five games, with three of those games being played in Dallas. But the Clippers did just that, winning all three of their games in Texas before closing out the series with a 126-111 win in Game 7 at home. Kawhi Leonard elevated his game in the postseason, as he always does, averaging 32.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game against the Mavericks.

Utah Jazz vs LA Clippers series predictions

This is going to be a very interesting series. Unfortunately for the Jazz, they may have to start this series without Mike Conley, who left Game 5 against the Grizzlies with a hamstring strain. Conley is an important cog on this team, averaging 16.2 points and 6.0 assists per game this season. The Clippers also have a key player listed as questionable in Serge Ibaka, who averaged 11.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game during the regular season but was limited to only nine minutes in the first round with a back injury.

Both of these teams are talented enough to win the NBA Championship this year. But both of these franchises are also known for their postseason disappointments; the Jazz never won a championship even during their dominant Karl Malone and John Stockton era, and the Clippers have never advanced past the second round. This series should go six or seven games, as both of these teams have great shooters that will go through ebbs and flows, but in the end Kawhi Leonard gives the Clippers the edge.