Jazz, Suns set for West Coast showdown on Thursday

The NBA odds for Thursday’s late game between Utah and Phoenix in the desert should tip the scales towards the Suns’ way, but the Jazz will be ready and rested for their meeting with Phoenix, while the Suns will be playing the second half of a back-to-back.

Jazz vs Suns odds – Thursday, March 4, 10:30 PM ET

The Jazz (38-22) will play six of their next seven games on the road, and that stretch got off to a bad start as they fell 108-104 to the Clippers in Los Angeles on Monday. Six Jazz players reached double figures, led by Carlos Boozer’s 20 points, while Deron Williams had 13 points and 13 assists, but the Jazz fell behind early and found themselves digging out of a hole. The Jazz did hit the offensive glass hard, snatching 15 offensive boards, and they forced 19 turnovers, but a 10-point halftime deficit is always tough to come back from on the road, even against the Clippers.

The Suns (38-24 as of Wednesday) will also have to make a trip to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Wednesday night, but prior to that, Phoenix had won seven of their last 10 games, including a 101-85 win at home over Denver on Monday night. Amare Stoudamire and Grant Hill had 19 points each and combined for 18 rebounds, while Steve Nash chipped in with 11 points and 10 assists while steering an offense that had six players in double figures. The Suns held a 46-36 edge on the boards, including 17-11 on the offensive glass. But the key was their reserves, who outscored the Nuggets’ bench players 37-4. We’re betting management is hoping for play like that from the subs on a more regular basis.

The Suns should be the sportsbook favorites at home, where they are 23-7 this year. These two Western Conference teams have met just once this year, and the Jazz came away with a 124-115 win over Phoenix at home on January 25^th. Andrei Kirilenko stepped up with 25 points, while Carlos Boozer was a monster with 21 points and 20 boards. Stoudamire had just 16 points and five rebounds for the Suns, who got a surprising 32 points from Goran Dragic on 10-of-13 shooting. The Suns should have the edge at home, but the Jazz have been off since Monday, and the Suns have to travel from Los Angeles back home on Wednesday night, and then play a rested Utah team. In addition, the Suns had lost 18 straight games on TNT before beating Dallas back in January, and they’ll get a chance to begin another streak on Thursday.

Internet sports betting pick:  Utah