NBA Road Teams as Hot as Brooklyn Decker

While Phoenix is known as a great vacation spot other than the summer time and Utah is known for, well, being Utah, both basketball teams are heating up in what should be another scintillating run for eight playoff spots in the Western Conference. Both teams are in action tonight, on the road, seeking to keep the momentum building.

Jazz hitting all the right notes

The Jazz (33-19, 31-18-3 ATS) opened the second part of their schedule with a road win last night in Houston 104-95 and they will have three more games away from home on this trip. Utah has won 10 of 11 (8-2-1 ATS) and 14 of last 16 (11-2-3 ATS). Never regarded as superior visiting club, the Jazz are attempting to win their fifth consecutive road game for the first time in two years when they visit New Orleans (28-25, 26-27 ATS).

The Hornets are adjusting to life without superstar guard Chris Paul, who had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and is out a minimum of three more weeks. New Orleans, after losing three in a row, won two of last three before the break, covering all of them thanks to hot shooting, which hid defensive flaws. The Hornets are 9-1 ATS after three straight games allowing a shooting percentage of 47 percent or higher over the last two seasons.

Utah is playing outstanding team basketball and is 30-13 ATS after a game with 30 or more assists, which raised their record to 13-3 ATS in the last two February’s. This leads to the Jazz as 3.5-point favorite at DiamondSportsbook.com, with total of 201.5. New Orleans has won the only meeting between these teams this season in Utah, yet is 7-17 ATS when the total is 200 to 209.5 over the last two seasons. This encounter starts just after 8:00 Eastern in local markets, with the Hornets 13-3 UNDER as a home underdog.

Farewell Amare?

The Phoenix Suns (32-22, 28-25-1 ATS) have been playing their best basketball since early November, on 6-1 SU and ATS roll off their impressive 109-95 win at Memphis yesterday. This was the second time the Suns have held an opponent under 40 percent shooting in this stretch of games; however the chemistry of this team is expected to be in flux.

Insider reports in Phoenix have contract talks between Amare Stoudemire and the Suns as wide apart as the Grand Canyon; fueling speculation a trade is imminent. Cleveland is still believed the most likely destination, though Miami is still in the mix. Charlotte’s name has been mentioned, however they have nothing the Suns would want or need, particularly since they sit at seventh seed presently, but just a couple of games out of moving up to fourth slot. As far as tonight, Phoenix is 13-5 ATS in road games after scoring 100 points or more five consecutive contests this year.

Dallas (32-21, 21-32 ATS) was lauded for acquiring Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson from Washington in a seven-player deal, nonetheless this much upheaval changes team dynamics and it takes at least a little time to sort out players roles. How the Mavericks handle this transitional period will likely decide they playoff positioning.

After losing at Oklahoma City 99-86 on Tuesday, shooting a season 32.3 percent, Dallas now has as many losses as San Antonio (21) and could tumble from third seed to eighth with a losing streak. The Mavericks are 4-7 (2-9 ATS) in last 11 and are 2-12 ATS at home after a game where they failed to cover the spread this season.

Dallas is a 4.5-point home favorite, for reasons unknown. The Mavs are undistinguished 15-9 at American Airlines Center and gut-wrenching (for backers) 5-19 (that’s true) against the spread. The total of 217.5 might be the most important number to consider, since Dallas is 0-10 ATS on home floor versus up-tempo teams averaging 83 or more shots a game this campaign. Dallas has flustered Phoenix, winning seven of last eight in Big D (4-3-1 ATS) including four in a row.

This showdown is on ESPN starting at 9 Eastern and the Suns are 8-3 ATS as underdogs of 4.5 or fewer points. The Stoudemire watch continues.