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Best bets to consider for Wednesday's NBA playoff slate

Andrew D. Bernstein / National Basketball Association / Getty

With a pair of games on tap for Wednesday's NBA playoff slate, let's dive into the matchups from a betting perspective.

Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets

Line: Rockets -8.5
Total: 212.5

Apparently, the Jazz aren't going down without a fight. Utah scored a series-high 107 points while holding the Rockets to a series-low 91 in Game 4 to inject some life into the first-round matchup. Now it's time for Game 5 in Houston, where the Rockets are sizable favorites.

Houston is one of the hottest teams against the spread, and the club is currently on a 9-2 run. The Rockets have been even better at home, going eight games without losing against the spread. Utah, meanwhile, looked lost over the first two games of the series on the road while being outscored by 26 points per game.

However, playing more freely as a true underdog in the series could benefit the Jazz in Wednesday's game. They certainly played that way in Game 3 despite the loss, then roared back to win convincingly while down 3-0 in the series on Monday.

If there's any sort of pressure in Game 5, it's on Houston to close the series out. And that makes the Jazz an intriguing bet, especially if they're getting a series-high 8.5 points.

Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors

Line: Warriors -14.5
Total: 233

Remember when the Clippers erased a 31-point deficit in Game 2 to briefly make this series competitive? That was fun.

The Warriors flipped their playoff switch when the series shifted to Los Angeles, and they now head back to Oracle Arena with the opportunity to clinch a second-round berth.

Wednesday's point spread is unsurprisingly the highest of the series. Golden State has led by double digits at some point in each of the first four games. If the team wasn't on the wrong end of a historically improbable comeback, the Warriors would be resting by now.

Golden State is the team up 3-1 on Wednesday that isn't facing mounting pressure. The Clippers would have benefitted from at least one win on their home court to make things interesting. Now they'll be scheduling tee times soon.

The Dubs are 5-1 against the spread over their last six games after failing to cover the number, and they're on a blistering 28-11 run versus the spread in the first round. The Warriors have gone under the total in 10 of their previous 13 home games, and 28 of their previous 38 overall.

Golden State could toy with L.A. again, but Wednesday feels more like a business trip for the Warriors.

Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.

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