June 12th NBA Props – Jazz vs Clippers Game 3 Player Props & Best Bets
By Sam Cox in NBA Basketball
Published:
- There’s only one NBA game on Saturday, but it’s a big one between the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers
- The Clippers are 2-0 down in the series after two tough losses in Utah
- Read below for the latest player props and betting picks
June 12th has one NBA game for us. It’s another highly pressurized situation for the Los Angeles Clippers, as they return to Staples Center trailing the Utah Jazz 2-0. Los Angeles kept the first two games close, but they need a win in Game 3 as the series heads to California. No team in NBA history has ever overturned a 3-0 deficit.
Even down in the series, the Clippers are favored by 4.5 points. They came back from this position in the first round, but the top-seeded Jazz represent a much sterner test than the inconsistent Mavericks.
NBA Player Props – June 12th
| UTA vs LAC | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Three Pointers Made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donovan Mitchell (UTA) | 31.5 (O -105 | U -122) | 4.5 (O +114 | U -148) | 5.5 (O +111 | U -141) | 3.5 (O -106 | U -121) |
| Bojan Bogdanovic (UTA) | 17.5 (O -107 | U -120) | 3.5 (O -143 | U +112) | 1.5 (O +111 | U -141) | 2.5 (O +150 | U -195) |
| Rudy Gobert (UTA) | 13.5 (O -113 | U -113) | 13.5 (O -121 | U -106) | OFF | OFF |
| Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | 27.5 (O -113 | U -113) | 7.5 (O +114 | U -148) | 4.5 (O -167 | U +130) | 1.5 (O -177 | U +136) |
| Paul George (LAC) | 24.5 (O -106 | U -121) | 7.5 (O -143 | U +112) | 5.5 (O +120 | U -155) | 2.5 (O -113 | U -113) |
| Marcus Morris (LAC) | 11.5 (O -120 | U -107) | 4.5 (O -106 | U -121) | 0.5 (O -225 | U +180) | 1.5 (O -195 | U +150) |
Odds as of June 12th from DraftKings
Morris Finds His Shot
The Clippers need Marcus Morris to be better. He’s shot 7.1% from three in the opening two games. He was up and down against the Mavericks, and it very much feels like he’s due a big game. The former Celtic finished just a shade behind Joe Harris in the regular season in three-point percentage and on good volume at over five attempts per game.
With this triple, Marcus Morris Sr. joins Steph Curry as the only players in GAME 7 HISTORY to hit 7 threes! #NBAPlayoffs #ThatsGame
WIN or GO HOME GAME 7 on ABC pic.twitter.com/Dzfwy8cnTo
— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2021
Some of the struggles can be attributed to good Jazz defense, but much of this is just cold shooting. Role players tend to shoot better at home. Morris has only 17 points in the second round, but ShotQuality.com claims the quality of his shots should have resulted in almost 30 points. In the same way some players shoot the ball unsustainably well, Morris is shooting the ball unsustainably poorly.
Whether playing the four or the five, it’s reasonable to expect a bounce back game from Morris. He had his cold nights in the first round, but came up big when required with seven threes on nine attempts in Game 7.
Marcus Morris: 1/14 from three in Games 1 & 2.
Absolutely brutal for the Clippers.
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) June 11, 2021
All eyes will be on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to pull the Clippers back into this series. The shooting of Morris is every bit as important, however, and for someone who averaged over 13 per game in the regular season, there’s value in the points over here.
Pick: Marcus Morris over 11.5 points (-120)
Gobert Remains A Problem
Rudy Gobert grabbed 20 boards in Game 2. He’s recorded 12 or more rebounds in six of his seven games this postseason. Gobert has been a serious matchup problem for the Clippers. They need the size of Ivica Zubac and DeMarcus Cousins with Serge Ibaka injured, but the Clips have played their best basketball when running smaller lineups. Nicolas Batum or Marcus Morris have been destroyed by Gobert on the boards.
Rudy Gobert took 5 shots tonight. He finished with:
13 PTS
20 REB (playoff career-high)
3 BLK
+14 +/-DPOY. pic.twitter.com/a0ipTouCrZ
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 11, 2021
Utah has won the Gobert minutes throughout these playoffs. While he doesn’t record loads of field goal attempts, he’s been going to the line frequently, taking 16 free throw attempts in this series so far. Gobert’s sheer size and length is a problem for the Clippers. It’s 32 rebounds in two games of this series, and it’s fair to expect another dominant performance on the glass in Game 3.
Zubac has been attacked relentlessly in the pick-and-roll when he’s been on the floor. Lue will likely live with the smaller lineups and hope the defensive versatility disrupts Utah’s perimeter players even if it allows Gobert to put up big numbers.
Jazz's Game 2 defensive rating with Rudy Gobert on the floor: 97.3
Jazz's Game 2 defensive rating with Gobert off the floor: 169.6
There's a reason he has three of those trophies.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 11, 2021
Looking at alternate lines for Gobert’s points and rebounds, there’s plenty of value to be found. He’s gone over 28.5 in four of seven games this postseason, including two of his last three. Foul trouble has limited his minutes in two of the games where he’s fallen short. He could get most of the way in rebounds, and having shot well from the line, this looks like a very achievable number.
Pick: Rudy Gobert over 28.5 points and rebounds (-121)
Sports Writer
Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie, who has spent the past several years immersed in the online gaming industry. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker, and Colossus Bets to name a few. Based in the UK, Sam also runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
