NBA betting: Bettors siding heavily with Utah Jazz after Kawhi Leonard injury news
With Kawhi Leonard sidelined, bettors are siding heavily with the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Leonard is out indefinitely with a knee injury. With the series tied 2-2 and back in Utah, the Jazz were already the betting favorites. But when news of Leonard’s status surfaced, the spread jumped from Jazz -2.5 to Jazz -7.5.
Even with such significant line movement, the large majority of action is on the Jazz. According to BetMGM, 79% of the bets and 83% of the money is on the Jazz to cover the spread. Bettors are leaning toward the under as well with 51% of the bets and 68% of the money on the under. The total has dropped from 223.5 to 221.5.
The Jazz won the first two games of the series at home. Game 1 was a 112-109 decision. Game 2’s final was 117-111. Utah covered the spread in both of those games.
When the series shifted to Los Angeles, the Clippers responded with force and won both games by double digits to even the series at 2-2. With Leonard now sidelined, however, the Clippers find themselves in a difficult spot entering Game 5 in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night.
Will 76ers bounce back at home?
Over in the Eastern Conference, the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers host the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of the East semifinals. The 76ers had a double-digit halftime lead in Game 4 in Atlanta, but the Hawks forged a late-game comeback to pull out a win and even the series at 2-2.
The series now shifts back to Philadelphia where the 76ers are 6.5-point favorites. The 76ers won Games 2 and 3 in blowout fashion, and most bettors are expecting Philly to bounce back.
According to BetMGM, 68% of the bets and 73% of the money is on the Sixers covering the spread. A lot of money is on the under as well — 77% of the money and 58% of the bets. The total opened at 224.5 but has since dipped to 223.5.
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