Nets vs. Jazz Preview, NBA Standings and NBA Finals Odds Update

The Nets have lost 6 in a row and have struggled over the last few weeks with Kevin Durant out of the lineup. Durant should be back in the lineup in a few weeks after suffering a knee injury and the Nets will look to make up ground in the competitive East in the second half.

Before Durant went out with an injury, the Nets were in first place and NBA title favorites but now have fallen to 6th in the East. The good news for the Nets is that they are still only 4 games out of first place and if they can get all their players healthy they should find themselves at the top of the Eastern Conference standings when the season ends.

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Nets vs. Jazz Preview

Kyrie is still only eligible to play in road games

The Nets take on Jazz in Utah on Friday and will look to snap their six-game losing streak and turn things around heading into the all-star break. James Harden returned from a hand injury earlier this week and will have to carry the Nets over the next month with Durant out and a limited Kyrie Irving.

Irving is still only available to play in road games and there have to be some questions in the Nets front office if they should look to trade Irving to a team with limited Covid restrictions so they can get back players that are available on a full-time basis. Teams like the Heat and Mavericks seem like good fits for a potential Irving trade as they have deep rosters and are based in states with no covid restrictions.

Harden on the Trade Block?

James Harden is another player that has been whispered to be included in potential trade packages before the deadline. Harden will be eligible to opt out of his deal at the end of the season and the Nets could decide to move Harden now before taking on a risk of losing him at the end of the year. The Nets front office will likely be watching how Harden plays over the next couple of weeks and look for signs of disengagement or try to get some sort of verbal commitment from him prior to the deadline that he wants to stick around in Brooklyn.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz are a team to keep an eye on in the West

The Jazz on the other hand is a team that not many people talk about but are sitting in the 4 seed in the West. The Suns, Warriors, and Grizzlies get most of the national attention but the Jazz have been knocking on the door for years and this could be the year they finally breakthrough in the West.  Donovan Mitchell is having another solid year averaging 25 PPG and should be in the mix for the MVP once again this season. Head over to our strategies page if you need to get caught up on the NBA action.

Eastern Conference Standings

1. Bulls 32-19
2. Heat 33-20
3. 76ers 31-20
4. Bucks 32-21
5. Cavs 31-21
6. Nets 29-22

The East is loaded this year and the conference hasn’t been this deep since the late 1990s. T Bulls and Cavs have been two of the biggest surprises in the NBA this year and they look like they will have staying power and be in the running for the top seed in the second half of the season. The Nets and Bucks are still the top two favorites to come out of the East due to their extensive playoff experience, but the up-and-coming teams in the East will make this one of the most exciting NBA postseasons in a long time.

NBA Finals Odds

•  Get Nets +300
• Warriors +450
• Suns +500
• Bucks +700
• Heat +1400

The Nets are still the favorite to win the title despite losing 6 in a row which tells you how much respect the oddsmakers have for a healthy Nets team. The risk of betting on the Netts is all the uncertainty surrounding their roster status on a night in and night out basis. Teams like the Bucks and Suns go about their business in a much more consistent fashion and seem like safer bets to take than rolling the dice on a Nets squad that seems like they could be one more injury away from things falling apart. Caesars is a great place to find the most up to dates finals odds and NBA prop bets if you want to get in on the NBA action.