Utah Jazz vs New Orleans Pelicans: Prediction and Betting Tips
The Utah Jazz will square off against the New Orleans Pelicans for the fourth and final time this season on Tuesday. Despite having the arguably inferior roster, Utah holds a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head matchup. Every game in the series has been quite close so the next encounter is likely going the same route.
Meanwhile, Zion Williamson and crew have been on a roller-coaster ride over their last five games. They have been alternating wins and losses during that stretch. The Pelicans will have to be at their best as Utah has given them a tough time this season.
The Jazz are on a two-game losing streak but they played well in their defeats to the OKC Thunder on Thursday and to the Houston Rockets on Saturday. They lost by a combined five points, including a 127-126 overtime thriller to the Rockets. Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton will spearhead the Jazz against their star-studded opponents.
Utah Jazz vs New Orleans Pelicans preview, odds and betting tips
The Pelicans will host the Utah Jazz at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA on Tuesday. The game, which starts at 8:00 p.m. ET, will be available via the NBA League Pass. Local networks such as Bally Sports New Orleans and KJZZ will also air the game live.
Basketball fans can also tune in to SiriusXM, WRNO 99.5FM and S: KBMG 106.3 FM to catch the action on the radio.
Moneyline: Jazz (+210) vs. Pelicans (-260)
Spread: Jazz (+6.0) vs. Pelicans (-6.0)
Total (O/U): Jazz (o238.5 -110) vs. Pelicans (u238.5 -110)
Utah Jazz vs New Orleans Pelicans: Game preview
Before their back-to-back losses, the Utah Jazz had won 12-of-14 games and had been playing like a team that could contend for the playoffs. Both sides of the ball have been clicking well for Will Hardy’s team over the past two months. They are more than capable of beating the Pelicans on Tuesday if they can execute their game plan.
The New Orleans Pelicans fell victim to Devin Booker’s 52-point explosion against the Phoenix Suns on Friday. New Orleans’ offense has been humming since the turn of the year, owning the second-best offensive rating this month. Only the surging LA Clippers have been better than them on that end.
New Orleans’ defense, however, hasn’t been what many expected it to be. Before Booker’s eruption, the Pelicans also gave up a combined 83 points to the Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. on Monday. The Pelicans will be in for another tough night if their defense doesn’t catch up to their offense versus the Jazz.
Utah Jazz vs New Orleans Pelicans: Starting lineups
Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy will likely have John Collins, Lauri Markkanen, Simon Fontecchio, Collin Sexton and Kris Dunn in the starting lineup.
The New Orleans Pelicans’ Willie Green is expected to counter with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Jonas Valanciunas and CJ McCollum.
Utah Jazz vs New Orleans Pelicans: Betting tips
The over/under points prop for Zion Williamson is 24.5 which is higher than his season average of 22.0 PPG. Over his last four games, “Zanos” scored 30, 30, 13 and 24 points, respectively. He only had 13 against the Charlotte Hornets as the Pelicans cruised to a 132-112 win. He would have gotten more had he been given his usual minutes.
Williamson has played well in three games against the Jazz and might have another big scoring night on Tuesday. He could get over his points prop.
Lauri Markkanen leads the Jazz in scoring with 24.0 PPG. The over/under points prop for him is 24.5. In seven of his last 10 games, he has scored at least 25 points. “The Finnisher” could light up the scoreboard, particularly if New Orleans’ defense continues to struggle.
Utah Jazz vs New Orleans Pelicans: Prediction
The Jazz have quietly become a good road team over the last two months. New Orleans, meanwhile, is only 13-9 at home. Zion Williamson and his teammates could take care of business on their floor but Utah is likely to cover the spread.
Combined, the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans average 234.0 PPG. Betting under the total points prop seems to be the logical pick for Tuesday’s game between the two teams.
