NBA: Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz take to court in big week

It’s another big week in the NBA and there’s plenty to look forward to. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Utah Jazz are both in action against the Sacramento Kings and the Boston Celtics respectively. The San Antonio Spurs, meanwhile, face the Golden State Warriors and we’ll have all the latest odds and injury news.

76ers settle into groove ahead of Kings meeting

So far, the 76ers have looked very impressive this season, and they currently top the Eastern Conference standings. They have been pushed hard in recent weeks by the Indiana Pacers and the Charlotte Hornets. However, they were impressive against the Brooklyn Nets over the weekend as they ran out 124-108 winners.https://blog.casumo.com/wp-admin/index.php

Joel Embiid has put himself in contention for the MVP (Most Valued Player) award and he weighed in with 33 points in that game even though James Harden provided 26 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Nets. Embiid has been instrumental this term and he netted over 30 points for the eighth time in his past nine outings.

• Philadelphia 76ers to win including Overtime @1/2 with Casumo
• Joel Embiid to score over 28.5 points including Overtime @13/20 with Casumo

Kings embark on run of home games

As far as the Kings are concerned, they are about to embark on a five-game stand and they are playing some scintillating basketball. The Kings are eyeing a fifth straight win, and they occupy a play-off spot at the moment in the Western Conference. DaQuan Jeffries (left ankle) is a doubt for the game, while Jahmi’us Ramsey and Rob Woodard are both out.

Jazz looking to make their mark against the Celtics

For the neutral, Jazz’s home clash with the Celtics is quite a tantalizing one. The Jazz go into the game on the back of a 19-5 record and this stands at 9-2 at home. The Jazz have proved to be very strong on the floor, conceding only 1.07 points per possession this season. The Jazz also boast a great defensive rebound rate at 74.8%.

Jazz applying pressure on the rim

Aside from their defensive proficiencies, the Jazz have been very effective at the other end of the court. They have managed to grab 30% of their own misses on the glass and that could give them the edge over the Celtics this term.

Celtics can rely on their own scoring prowess against Jazz

The Jazz will have to be at their best. Jayson Tatum has been integral to the Celtics, averaging over 27 points and 7.1 rebounds this season. The Celtics are strong offensively – however they have a couple of injury worries. Jaylen Brown (knee) is touch and go, while Marcus Smart (calf) is likely to sit out. Additionally, Mike Conley (hamstring) will miss out for Jazz.

Defensively, the Celtics rank very highly for steals and turnovers. The Celtics will fancy themselves against the Jazz, as they have managed to give away the ball on 11.3% of possessions. The Jazz, however, have turned the ball on a mere 14.8% of possessions.

• Utah Jazz to win including Overtime @12/25 with Casumo
• Utah Jazz and total Over 221 points @7/4 with Casumo

As far as the head-to-head record goes, there have been a few tight clashes. However, the last four meetings have been split. The Jazz eked out a tight win against the Celtics a year ago (99-94) on the road, but lost 114-103 on home court a month before that.

Steph Curry posting big scores for the Warriors

For the Warriors, things haven’t gone so smoothly compared to the previous NBA-winning campaign. Steve Kerr’s men are ninth in the Western Conference standings, and they were edged out 105-100 by the Warriors earlier in the week. But Steph Curry has been playing some of the best basketball of his career.

Curry has averaged 29.4 points per game and Kerr couldn’t be happier. He said: “He’s never played better. I’ve never seen him like this. He just looks so strong to me.” Indeed, Curry has had multiple games this season where he has scored at least 57 points. The Warriors are without four players for the Spurs clash and that includes Klay Thompson (Achilles).