The Utah Jazz play host to the New Orleans Pelicans at the Delta Center on Thursday night. Here’s a Jazz vs. Pelicans prediction. This article will include a Jazz vs. Pelicans pick.
New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans have been in decent form lately, as they’ve won four of their last six games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight win after sneaking past the Warriors in a 113-109 home win on Tuesday. Zion Williamson led the team with 26 points on 11 of 21 shooting, Saddiq Bey added 18 points, and Dejounte Murray chipped in with 13 points. As a team, the Pelicans shot 43 percent from the field and 10 of 40 from the 3-point line as they looked to be in trouble after squandering an early 14-point lead to fall behind in the fourth quarter before they responded with a crucial 14-3 run to pull away late and escape with the narrow win at home.
Utah Jazz Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz have been in a real slump as they’ve lost 15 of their last 19 games overall and they will be hoping to snap a three-game slide after getting smashed by the Rockets in a 125-105 road defeat on Monday. Lauri Markkanen led the team with 29 points on 10 of 23 shooting; Brice Sensabaugh added 26 points on 10 of 15 shooting off the bench, while Isaiah Collier chipped in with 17 points on four of 16 shooting. As a team, the Jazz shot just 37 percent from the field and eight of 44 from the 3-point line as they struggled to keep pace from the start and fell behind by 21 points going into halftime, which was always going to be too much to overcome for the Jazz, who were misfiring all night. Kevin Love scored just five points on two of eight shooting off the bench, while Ace Bailey finished with just four points on two of nine shooting.
Why the Utah Jazz will win
- The Pelicans have lost each of their last 15 games at Delta Center when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- The Jazz have won each of their last 10 games when playing with a rest advantage against the Pelicans.
- The Jazz have covered the spread in each of their last seven games when playing with a rest advantage against the Pelicans.
- The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in each of their last seven games as road favorites against Western Conference opponents.
Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win
- The Jazz have lost each of their last six games against Southwest Division opponents.
- The Pelicans have won each of their last five games against the Jazz.
- The Pelicans have covered the spread in each of their last eight games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Jazz have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six games as underdogs against Western Conference opponents.
Total Points: Facts
- Each of the Pelicans’ last six games against Western Conference opponents has gone UNDER the total points line.
- Each of the last four games between the Pelicans and the Jazz has gone OVER the total points line.
Utah Jazz Player Facts
- John Konchar has recorded 3+ steals in three consecutive appearances—the longest active streak of any player in the league.
- Kyle Filipowski ranks 20th in the Western Conference amongst qualified players for rebounds per game (6.6) this season.
New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts
- Zion Williamson ranks 1st in the league for points in the paint (688) this season.
- Herb Jones is one of only two players in the league to have recorded 8+ steals in a game this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Jazz rank 30th in the league for opponent points per game this season (125.9).
- The Jazz rank 30th in the league for opponent assists per game this season (30.3).
- The Pelicans have recorded the largest comeback win from an HT deficit this season—trailing by 22 points vs. the Rockets on December 18.
- The Pelicans rank 29th in the league for opponent offensive rebounds per game this season (12.6).
Jazz vs Pelicans Prediction
The Pelicans are still missing Yves Missi and Trey Murphy III, while the Jazz have ruled out Jusuf Nurkic and Jaren Jackson Jr., with Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George both questionable. The Pelicans look like they might be turning the corner as they’ve picked up a few nice wins lately, while the Jazz have continued their nightmare season with another blowout defeat and could now be missing their top two leading scorers in Markkanen and George. The line could change by tipoff if Markkanen sits this one out, so I will jump on the Pelicans to be good enough to take advantage.