Be sure to check the injury reports close to game times as these picks may change with new information!
Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz
The Lakers get a shot at the hottest team in the league so far this season. However, they must do so injured. Davis is still weeks out from returning and Schroder is still out with Covid. Also appearing on the injury report as game-time decisions are James, Kuzma, and Morris. Obviously, if any of these guys sit, it will have a huge impact on the outcome of this game. The Lakers fans have begun to panic as the Lakers extend their losing streak to 3 games and have lost 4 out of the last 5 games. It is a cause for concern but the Lakers are still a decent team who have the lost the last 2 games by a combined 5 points.
The Jazz on the other hand are 9-1 on their last 10 games and boast the best record in the league going 25-6. The Jazz appeared to be in trouble last game vs the Hornets but rallied in the 4th quarter to come back and win by 22 points showing their resiliency.
The results for the All-Star game are out and each team will send two players. Gobert and Mitchell will get the nod for the Jazz with Davis and James getting the honor for the Lakers. Gobert was a shock and fans felt others were more deserving such as Booker. Gobert gets the honor due to his amazing rebounding ability and lockdown defense down low. He is an absolute nightmare and an annoying player for other bigs to match up against. Gobert isn’t a bad offensive player either and is averaging a double-double behind his 13.9 PPG and 13.5 RPG. Morris will have his hands full and will need to play smart by not forcing any shots against Gobert.
The main thing to watch for is the injuries on the Lakers. This is crucial information on who not only wins this game but who will cover. The Jazz are -9.0 favorites at home. Assuming Morris, Kuzma, and James are playing, I would suggest taking Lakers +9.0 as they will get a determined James who hates losing.
Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics have both seen dips in their play recently. They are both 3-7 in their last 10 games with the Celtics dipping below .500 with a record of 15-16 and the Hawks are now 13-18. Fans and analytics both did not see this coming.
The Celtics go into Atlanta in hopes of stopping their losing streak at just two games. The Celtics will get the guard and forward advantage with the Hawks getting the advantage down low. The Celtics achilles heel has been down low all season. They lack talent down low and have relied on their guards to do all of the lifting. The Celtics tout two All-Star players this year in Brown and Tatum who have developed into one of the most effective duos on the league. Brown is averaging 25.6 PPG, 3.9 APG, and 5.6 RPG while Tatum is averaging 26.1 PPG, 4.6 APG and 7.1 RPG. Despite their scoring, the Celtics are ranked 28th in assists which suggests they have a hard time moving the ball to open teammates and rely too much on the individual offensive play of this duo.
The Hawks fans feel betrayed that Trae Young was snubbed of an All-Star nod after his excellent performance this year. Trae is nearly averaging a double-double this season behind his averages of 27.0 PPG, 9.6 APG, and 4.0 RPG. Shocking a player who can put up these numbers misses the All-Star game.
Despite having a top 10 offensive rating, their defense is what is costing them games. They allow opposing teams to stay in the game and give up leads. Capela and Collins are solid down low but the same cant be said about their forwards and guards which allow opposing players to reach their averages almost nightly.
The Celtics are the -2.0 favorite on the road. The Hawks have listed Collins on the injury report as a game-time decision with a concussion. Concussions can be serious so I think Collins is likely to sit giving the Celtics a huge advantage by not having to worry about him down low. The Celtics are the better team despite recent play and I ex
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