The New Orleans Pelicans will face off against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night, so I bring you the best betting pick for this Western Conference showdown along with the latest odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Pelicans are coming in full strength, but Lonzo Ball still has some problems with his knee and is listed as questionable. On the other side, the Jazz are without rookie Elijah Hughes (ankle), while Joe Ingles (Achilles) is questionable to play after missing the previous three games.
New Orleans beat Sacramento to snap a five-game skid
The New Orleans Pelicans (5-7; 5-7 ATS) are coming off a 128-123 victory at the Sacramento Kings this past Sunday, putting an end to a five-game losing streak on the back of excellent offensive performance.
The Pels shot 52.9% from the field and 50.0% from beyond the arc while earning 34 free-throw attempts. Zion Williamson led the way with 31 points on 13-for-15 shooting, while Steven Adams had 12 points, 15 rebounds, and four assists.
New Orleans scores 109.0 points per 100 possessions (17th in the NBA), and the Pelicans are shooting just 33.4% from beyond the 3-point line (26th). They allow 110.0 points in a return (18th) on 45.1% shooting from the field (11th) and 37.2% from downtown (17th).
Utah looks to extend its winning streak
After a shaky start of the season, the Utah Jazz (9-4; 8-5 ATS) have won five games in a row, coming off a 109-105 victory at the Denver Nuggets as 1.5-point road underdogs this past Sunday. They had a good shooting night, making 51.3% of their field goals and 4.5% of their 3-pointers, while Jordan Clarkson led the way with 23 points off the bench.
Still, the Jazz allowed a whopping 23 offensive rebounds to the Nuggets, so they finished with 24 field goals fewer than their opponents. Furthermore, Utah missed 12 free throws, and Rudy Gobert struggled all night long with 7-for-13 from the charity stripe.
Utah has the 10th-best offensive rating in the league, tallying 112.2 points per 100 possessions. The Jazz are 15th in field goal percentage (46.2%) and fourth in 3-point percentage (39.7%). They surrender 107.0 points per 100 possessions (7th) on 43.6% shooting from the field (1st).
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”nba/jazz” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
New Orleans:
- 5-10 ATS in the last 15 games overall
- 4-10-1 ATS in the last 15 tilts against Utah
Utah:
- 5-0 ATS in the last five games overall
- 5-1 ATS in the last six games against Southwest Division
The Winner Prediction
The key factor in this matchup will be a defense on both sides of the court. The Pels allow only 40.5 points in the paint per game (3rd-best in the league), but they have to defend the 3-point line well, as Utah is lethal from downtown while attempting 41.3 shots per 100 possessions which are the third-most in the NBA.
On the other side, the Jazz are very aggressive defensive-wise, but they still surrender 47.7 points in the paint per game (22nd). The Pelicans need to share the ball and attack the rim. Their shot selection has to be top-notch against this Utah team.
I think the Pelicans will make this game interesting to watch, but the Jazz obviously have their number. Utah is 14-5 straight up and 12-6-1 ATS in its last 19 meetings with the Pels. The Jazz have to slow down Zion Williamson and force him into difficult shots. If they put on another defensive clinic, the Jazz will win, but I don’t feel comfortable with a 6-point spread at all.
NBA Picks: Take Utah -4.0 at -160
The Total:
Both New Orleans and Utah prefer to play at a slow pace. The Pels average 98.0 possessions per 48 minutes (25th), while the Jazz record 98.5 (24th). Therefore, we shouldn’t expect to see a high-scoring affair, especially if Utah continues to play relentless defense.
On the other hand, three of the last six matchups between New Orleans and Utah went in the over while producing a whopping 248 or more points in total each. Still, I would stick with the teams’ current form and their recent style of play.
Pick: Go under 218.5 points at -120