Utah Jazz vs. Charlotte Hornets Prediction, Preview, and Odds

This Saturday, the (32-35) Utah Jazz will travel to Charlotte, NC to take on the (22-46) Charlotte Hornets. Tipoff will be at 7:00 PM EST inside the Spectrum Center. This will be the second meeting between these two teams this regular season, as the Jazz won the last battle, 120-102.

The Utah Jazz is entering this one after defeating the Orlando Magic, 131-124. They looked great on the offensive end of the court, as they will have to stay efficient if they want to challenge the Hornets on the road.

The Hornets are coming into this game after defeating the Detroit Pistons, 113-103. They were solid on the defensive end of the court, as they will have to carry that momentum over into this one if they want to take down the Jazz at home.

I am (32-15) in my last 47 Best Bets and I am looking to DOMINATE the Cincinnati vs. Houston game today. I've picked a side in this one, as I can't wait for this game to start! Buy my Saturday CBB Best Bet and I will look to see you back in the GREEN!

This game was written/published before last night's results.

Can the Jazz Finish The Season Strong?

The Utah Jazz are currently in 11th place in the Western Conference standings, as they are 14.5 games back from the first-place Denver Nuggets. On offense, they are scoring 117.2 points per game and they have shot 47.3% from the floor. This is the fifth most points scored per contest and the 15th-highest team shooting percentage. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Jazz have the eighth-highest adjusted offensive rating. Lauri Markkanen continues to lead the way on the offensive end of the court, as he is scoring 25.4 points per game on 51.3% shooting from the field. Utah has also shown that they are more successful when they are attacking the basket. They have only shot 35.8% from deep, which is the 18th-highest three-point shooting percentage. They have also shot 78.9% at the charity stripe, which is the 13th-highest free-throw percentage in the NBA. They can't miss out on these free points and still expect to win these games.

On defense, the Jazz is holding their opponents to 117.3 points per game and they have only shot 47.6% from the floor. This is the 22nd most points allowed per game and the 17th-lowest shooting percentage allowed. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Jazz have the 24th-lowest adjusted defensive rating in the NBA. Utah has also struggled to defend on the perimeter, as they have allowed their opponents to shoot 36.1% from behind the arc. Luckily, they are averaging 45.1 rebounds per game, which is the seventh most in the league.

Injury Report: Jordan Clarkson PG (Finger) is questionable. Collin Sexton PG (Hamstring) is out.

Can the Hornets Stay Hot?

The Charlotte Hornets are currently in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings, as they are 27 games back from the Milwaukee Bucks. On offense, they are scoring 111.8 points per game and they have shot 45.5% from the floor. This is the 22nd most points allowed per contest and the 26th-highest team shooting percentage. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Hornets have the lowest adjusted offensive rating in the NBA. They have struggled to consistently knock down shots near the paint and on the perimeter, as they are only knocking down 32.8% of their shots from deep. This is the second-lowest three-point shooting percentage in the league. The Charlotte Hornets have also had issues at the charity stripe, as they are only making 74.7% of their shots at the line. This is the 27th-highest free-throw shooting percentage in the NBA.

On the defensive end of the court, the Hornets are allowing 117.5 points per game and their opponents have shot 47.7% from the floor. This is the 24th most points surrendered per game and the 18th-highest shooting percentage allowed. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Hornets have the 21st-lowest adjusted defensive rating in the NBA. They have had issues contesting shots near the rim, but their perimeter defense has been slightly better. They are forcing their opponents to shoot 36% from behind the arc, which is the 14th-lowest three-point shooting percentage allowed. Charlotte has also grabbed 45 rebounds per game, which is the eighth most.

Injury Report: Mark Williams C (Thumb) is questionable. Cody Martin PF (Knee) and Lamelo Ball PG (Ankle) are out.

Best Bets for this Game

Full-Game Side Bet

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Rating:

I like the Utah Jazz (-3.5) on the road, as I see them being the better offensive team in this matchup. They will score consistently throughout this game and the Hornets will struggle to keep up. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Jazz have the eighth-highest adjusted offensive rating and they are scoring the fifth most points per game. The Hornets won't be able to slow them down, as they won't be able to stay competitive in this game. Charlotte is allowing the 24th most points per contest and they have the 21st-lowest adjusted defensive rating. They won't get consistent stops and they will slowly fall behind. I don't see the Hornets lighting up the scoreboard in this one either. They are averaging the 26th most points per game and they have the lowest adjusted offensive rating. They won't stay hot on the offensive end of the court and they will quickly fall behind in this game.

Pick the Utah Jazz and lay the points (-3.5).

Prediction: Utah Jazz -3.5

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Full-Game Total Pick

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Rating:

I love the over in this matchup, as I see both of these teams scoring enough points to push this total over the number. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Hornets have the fourth-highest adjusted tempo rating and the Jazz have the 12th-highest. Neither team will look to slow this game down, as they will push the ball up the court and attempt to score in transition as often as they can. This will allow both teams to take more shots from the field, as they will have plenty of opportunities to push this total over the number. The Utah Jazz will score the majority of the points that we need to push this total over the number, as they are averaging the fifth most points scored per game and they have the eighth-highest adjusted offensive rating. The Hornets won't be able to slow them down and this total will fly over the number. Charlotte will also consistently score throughout this game, as the Jazz are still allowing the 22nd most points per game. Both teams love to push the ball up the court with pace and they have struggled on the defensive end of the court.

Pick the over and expect an offensive battle in this one.

Prediction: Over

Mason graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder and he has been watching SportsCenter since before he could walk. He has been crunching numbers since he could learn to count and nothing makes Mason happier in this world than talking sports, unless he is on the golf course! We are very happy to have added Mason to our team at StatSalt and you will be glad as well. Let's win some money!