The top-seeded Golden State Warriors begin the second round of the playoffs against an unfamiliar postseason foe Tuesday in the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz, and they are listed as double-digit favorites for Game 1.The Warriors are coming off a sweep of the eighth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, while the Jazz went the distance with the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers.Point spread: The Warriors opened as 12.5-point favorites; the total is at 207, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark(line updates and matchup report)NBA betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 111.4-97.8, Warriors (NBA picks on every game)Why the Jazz can cover the spreadUtah has not faced Golden State in the playoffs in a decade, winning that previous playoff series in five games. The Jazz made it to the Western Conference Finals as a No. 4 seed back in 2007, while the Warriors had upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round before falling in the second.Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams led Utah then, and now the team's star is seventh-year pro Gordon Hayward. Defense will be the key for this edition of the Jazz, as they have held high-scoring Golden State to 106 points or fewer in eight of the last nine meetings. If that continues, Utah can cover.Why the Warriors can cover the spreadWhile the Warriors have not scored near their regular-season average in eight of their past nine games against the Jazz, they still managed to go 5-4 against the spread. Golden State went 3-1 ATS in sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging nearly 120 points, with the over cashing three times.This may not be as high-scoring of a series, but that does not mean the Warriors are not capable of covering as double-digit chalk. In fact, they are 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games as double-digit favorites, all at home, and lost only once straight up.Smart betting pickThe under is 5-0-1 in the past six meetings, and the Jazz would be silly to try to run here following a grueling seven-game series vs. the Clippers. Golden State has not played in more than a week, so the team might be a little rusty right out of the gates, too. Regardless, look for Game 1 to be another lower-scoring affair finishing under again at sports betting sites.NBA betting trendsUtah is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games.Utah is 5-0 ATS in its last five games on the road.The total has gone over in seven of Golden State's last 10 games.All NBA lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Reports official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.
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