Utah Jazz vs GS Warriors Odds and Picks
- The Golden State Warriors (19-19) host the Utah Jazz (28-9) Sunday, March 14
- The Dubs have lost four in a row and were defeated by Utah earlier this season
- Read below for odds, analysis, and our best bet for this matchup
The Golden State Warriors (19-19), who are on the Mavericks’ heels for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, host the Utah Jazz (28-9) Sunday, March 14 in San Francisco. Tip time is 4pm ET at the Chase Center.
Utah beat Houston 114-99 Friday in its first game back after the All-Star break. Despite the 15-point victory, Quin Snyder was not satisfied with his team’s performance. Meanwhile, Golden State lost to the L.A. Clippers 130-104 Thursday. Steve Kerr benched rookie James Wiseman for the first three quarters after missing mandatory COVID tests during the seven-day layoff.
The Dubs are in the midst of a season-long four-game losing streak and enter Sunday’s affair as underdogs.
Jazz vs Warriors Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jazz | -6 (-110) | -260 | O 230 (-110) |
| Warriors | +6 (-110) | +215 | U 230 (-110) |
Odds taken March 13 at FanDuel
Work To Do
Donovan Mitchell had 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the victory over the Rockets — but all he or any of his teammates wanted to talk about after the game was how much better the team can play.
Donovan Mitchell: "It'd be easy to say 'it's the first game back, we're trying to get our wind' but I think we have a pride in ourselves and I think that's the collective feel around the locker room."
— Ryan Miller (@millerjryan) March 13, 2021
The Jazz had 20 turnovers (compared to Houston’s 12), were outscored in the paint 58-42 and were outrebounded on the offensive glass 19-6. The performance by a team that had won 22 of 24 games between early January and late February made it clear there’s still plenty of work to do.
The game was not a complete disaster — Utah outscored Houston 12-3 in the final 4:30. And one of the most consistent starting lineups in the league was on full display, with all five players scoring in double digits. Another bright spot was Jordan Clarkson. The seventh-year NBA vet continued to improve his Sixth Man of the Year candidacy with 15 points in 21 minutes off the bench.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lG1Fus0KbA
Utah went 4-4 going into the All-Star break, and wasn’t the super dominant team its been for the better part of the season Friday. But considering the Jazz’s salty reaction to a 15-point victory and their deep (and healthy) roster, they should be OK Sunday.
Defending the Great
The Clippers’ stifling defense Thursday was quite a contrast to the effort Steph Curry saw against him four days earlier in Atlanta.
Learn & move forward.
Game Rewind || @Verizon pic.twitter.com/PHcQSyJvDA
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 12, 2021
Arguably the best three-point shooter in NBA history was limited to just 14 points (going 6-for-16 from the field and a paltry 1-of-8 beyond the arc) and three assists against Kawhi and Co. It wasn’t just Curry who struggled either. The Clippers rode a dominant third quarter to a 104-68 lead heading into the fourth, when Curry sat the entire period to get ready for Sunday.
Enter Wiseman. The No. 2 pick in last year’s draft flourished in garbage time after missing the first three quarters for disciplinary reasons. The 19-year-old scored 14 on 6-of-7 shooting and was contrite for his actions.
James Wiseman put up 14 PTS and 7 REB in 11 mins 👀
He only played in the 4Q pic.twitter.com/F7g7bdHYlt
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 12, 2021
Kerr made a statement by benching the young player and the issue is now in the past. But the move may end up paying dividends down the road from a developmental perspective.
The Matchup
The Jazz comfortably beat the Warriors — as they have most opponents this season — 127-108 on Jan. 23. Mitchell had 23 points in that, while Mike Conley had 17 and Rudy Gobert finished with 11 points and 14 boards. Curry led the Dubs with 24. Utah was borderline unconscious form distance, going 20-of-50 from three-point range.
We're the first team in NBA history to have 7 games with 20+ made 3-pointers in a single month.
📼 A few of our favorites 📼#ThreesOfTheWeek | @MountainAmerica pic.twitter.com/smcrfySCJV
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 30, 2021
While that kind of effort is hard to expect again — as is Curry going 1-for-8 from downtown (like he did Thursday) — the Jazz are simply the better team in this spot. But are they six points better?
The two-time league MVP is having a stellar season, averaging 29.3 points and 6.2 assists a night, and was visibly frustrated against the Clippers. Look for Curry to get loose in a tantalizing matchup against Mitchell.
Steph Curry 38 games into what James Harden experienced for 9 years in Houston
— ᵂᴵᴸᴸ (@BiasedHouston) March 12, 2021
The problem for Kerr is none of his other players have been consistently good (or healthy) this season. That isn’t the case for Utah. All of the Jazz players are efficient and consistent, which is why they own the league’s best record.
While the Golden State Warriors boast a strong defensive unit (4th), their offense has fallen apart lately and will struggle to overcome Gobert’s presence in the paint, along with Utah’s wing defense.
The pick: Utah -6 (-110)
Blair Johnson is a veteran journalist and seasoned sports content creator. He has been writing and producing content as long as he can remember, with such familiar names as CNN, NFL Media and Yahoo. Blair currently lives and works in the greater Los Angeles area.
