Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz: Game 7 Prediction, Betting Odds Live Stream Info

Of the eight first-round series in the 2017 NBA Playoffs, only one will be decided in a Game 7. The Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz will meet Sunday afternoon at Staples Center to determine which team moves on to the conference semifinals and who will have their season come to an end.

Game 7 is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. EDT, likely right after the conclusion of Game 1 between the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards in their second-round series. ABC will have TV coverage of the elimination game, and fans can watch a free live stream online with WatchESPN.

It’s only fitting this series is going the distance. The Clippers and Jazz both finished the regular season with the exact same record (51-31), and L.A. was named the No.4 seed because of the tiebreaker. Each team excels on one side of the floor, with the Clippers ranked fourth overall in offensive efficiency, and the Jazz ranking third in defense. Both teams had one player named to the All-Star team, and they’ve each dealt with major injuries this series.

Los Angeles forced the Game 7 by winning Game 6 in Utah Friday night. The odds were stacked against the Clippers, who faced elimination on the road without Blake Griffin, who is done for the postseason with a toe injury. But the team persevered largely because of the play of Chris Paul.

Paul led the team with 29 points, adding eight assists, three rebounds and two steals. He’s been the team’s high scorer in all four games since Griffin suffered his injury, and he’s the main reason why the Clippers have a chance to reach the second round.

Griffin’s injury means the Clippers won’t make a deep run in the playoffs, but Paul gives them a chance to outlast the Jazz. The point guard is the best player in the series, and he might have been an MVP candidate in the regular season if he hadn’t missed a significant amount of time with injuries of his own.

The Jazz have dealt with obstacles of their own. Rudy Gobert got hurt with just a few seconds gone by in Game 1, and Gordon Hayward missed most of Game 4 due to food poisoning. They seemed to be back at 100 percent in the team’s last victory, however, with Hayward scoring 27 points on 16 shots and Gobert putting up a double-double.

With how even this series has been played, Game 7 can go either way. Utah has managed to win by scoring in the 100s, while Los Angeles has played Utah’s game and won low-scoring contests.

The Jazz have played evenly with the Clippers because of their depth and ability to hit big shots late in games, but Los Angeles might have the edge in Game 7. The oddsmakers seem to agree, considering the betting line has the Clippers favored by 3.5 points, via OddsShark. The over/under is 190.5.

Having home-court advantage and the best player on the floor should be just enough to earn the Clippers a second-round matchup with the Golden State Warriors.

Prediction: Los Angeles over Utah, 104-99