Oddsmakers like Jazz
The Rockets might have more momentum than Hillary Clinton, but the oddsmakers insist the Jazz are 7 1/2-point favorites in Game 6 of their first-round series against Houston.
This is an interesting line:
The Jazz were eye-opening 8 1/2-point favorites in Games 3 and 4, which were also played at EnergySolutions Arena. So the oddsmakers have noticed how well the Rockets are playing and dropped their point-spread slightly. Still, the average line when one good teams plays another good team is four points, in favor of the home team. Anything less and the oddsmakers are saying they like the visitor. Anything more and the oddsmakers prefer the home team. At least that's what I've been told by some people who know such things.
What are the Jazz coaches and players saying about Game 6? Here's a sample:
- Coach Jerry Sloan: "We better approach it [like Game 7] because, right now, we have the home court advantage and we'd like to take advantage of that. But we have to come and play hard. We have to be alert. We can't throw the ball away like we did the other night [in Game 5]."
- Sloan, on Houston's ability to slow Utah's running game: "Theyíve controlled the tempo of the game a great deal. They've been good at that -- the way they run their offense -- [and] they've got a go-to guy they can give the basketball to and can get something from with the [shot] clock running down. [Tracy] McGrady has been very difficult for us to try and handle."
- Ronnie Brewer, on trying to rebound from a 95-69 loss in Game 5: "We just didn't take advantage of the opportunity to close out the series, so a lot is at stake again. But we're at home, playing in front of our fans. We could not be in a better situation than we're in."
- Carlos Boozer, on whether the Jazz's confidence was shaken in Game 5: "We're fine. We're very confident. We're going to have plenty of emotion -- plenty of passion. We'll be ready to play. ... They were facing an elimination game at home. They stepped up and played and played great basketball. So we take our hats off to them. But we'll be ready to play."
- Deron Williams, on the Jazz's 40-percent shooting over the last two games: "A lot of it is their defense and some of it is our execution has not been where we have wanted it to be. But give them a lot of credit. They are a solid defensive team and they've taken us out of some of our stuff. ... We just have to do a better job of making the extra pass -- sharing the ball."
This is an interesting line:
The Jazz were eye-opening 8 1/2-point favorites in Games 3 and 4, which were also played at EnergySolutions Arena. So the oddsmakers have noticed how well the Rockets are playing and dropped their point-spread slightly. Still, the average line when one good teams plays another good team is four points, in favor of the home team. Anything less and the oddsmakers are saying they like the visitor. Anything more and the oddsmakers prefer the home team. At least that's what I've been told by some people who know such things.
What are the Jazz coaches and players saying about Game 6? Here's a sample:
- Coach Jerry Sloan: "We better approach it [like Game 7] because, right now, we have the home court advantage and we'd like to take advantage of that. But we have to come and play hard. We have to be alert. We can't throw the ball away like we did the other night [in Game 5]."
- Sloan, on Houston's ability to slow Utah's running game: "Theyíve controlled the tempo of the game a great deal. They've been good at that -- the way they run their offense -- [and] they've got a go-to guy they can give the basketball to and can get something from with the [shot] clock running down. [Tracy] McGrady has been very difficult for us to try and handle."
- Ronnie Brewer, on trying to rebound from a 95-69 loss in Game 5: "We just didn't take advantage of the opportunity to close out the series, so a lot is at stake again. But we're at home, playing in front of our fans. We could not be in a better situation than we're in."
- Carlos Boozer, on whether the Jazz's confidence was shaken in Game 5: "We're fine. We're very confident. We're going to have plenty of emotion -- plenty of passion. We'll be ready to play. ... They were facing an elimination game at home. They stepped up and played and played great basketball. So we take our hats off to them. But we'll be ready to play."
- Deron Williams, on the Jazz's 40-percent shooting over the last two games: "A lot of it is their defense and some of it is our execution has not been where we have wanted it to be. But give them a lot of credit. They are a solid defensive team and they've taken us out of some of our stuff. ... We just have to do a better job of making the extra pass -- sharing the ball."
2:38 PM
| 
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home