Indiana Pacers (12-9) vs. Utah Jazz (13-11)
December 2, 2022 9:00 pm EDT
The Line: Utah Jazz -4.5; Over/Under: +238
(Get latest betting odds)
The Indiana Pacers and the Utah Jazz duke it out at the Vivint Arena on Friday night.
The Indiana Pacers have been in great shape as they’ve won seven of their last 10 games overall, but they will be aiming to bounce back in this one after getting blown out by the Kings in a 137-114 road defeat on Wednesday. Jalen Smith and Benedict Mathurin each scored 22 points while Buddy Hield added 17 points, but no other player finished in double figures in scoring. As a team, the Pacers shot 40 percent from the field and 12 of 37 from the 3-point line as they struggled right from the start, scoring just 20 points in the first quarter to fall behind by double-digits right away, before they allowed an unforgivable 44 points in the third quarter to trail by as many as 32 points at one stage.
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz have been in a real slump as they’ve lost eight of their last 11 games, but they will be eager to build some momentum after snapping a five-game slide with a 125-112 home win over the Clippers on Wednesday. Jordan Clarkson led the team with 33 points and five assists on 10 of 18 shooting, Lauri Markkanen added 23 points on seven of 11 shooting while Collin Sexton chipped in with 21 points and six assists. As a team, the Jazz shot 54 percent from the field and 14 of 32 from the 3-point line as they squandered an early 12-point lead in the first half, before they dominated the second half by 67-52 to earn the much-needed victory.
Looking at the betting trends, the Pacers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a loss, 6-2 ATS in their last eight road games and 12-4 ATS in their last 16 games overall. The Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning record and 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a win of more than 10 points.
Head to head, the under is 4-1 in the last five meetings overall, the Pacers are 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings overall and the Pacers are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Utah.
The Pacers could be shorthanded for this one as Tyrese Haliburton is currently listed as questionable due to left groin soreness, while the Jazz are still missing Mike Conley and Rudy Gay. The Pacers have been flying under the radar this season as they are coming into this one with plenty of momentum, but the potential loss of Haliburton is massive as he’s been so good on offense. The Jazz have a real chance to snag a win over the Pacers, but they were absolutely ice-cold before their win over the Clippers, so I’ll stick with the more reliable Pacers to get the minor upset on the road in this spot.
