The Utah Jazz aim to extend a six-game winning streak on Thursday evening. Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz welcome Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans to Salt Lake City at 10 p.m. ET for the second time in 48 hours, with Utah winning the first matchup at home. New Orleans aims to right the ship after six losses in the last seven games, and the Pelicans are 3-5 on the road this season. Utah is 10-4 overall and 3-2 in its home building so far in 2020-21.
The latest Pelicans vs. Jazz odds from William Hill Sportsbook list Utah as a seven-point favorite, up half a point from the opening line. The over-under for total points is set at 217.5. Before finalizing any Jazz vs. Pelicans picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it returned over $5,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks last season. The model is up nearly $8,100 over the past two-plus seasons. Dating back to last season, it is also on a stunning 68-39 roll on top-rated picks against the spread, returning almost $2,500 on those selections alone. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Pelicans vs. Jazz. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Jazz vs. Pelicans:
- Pelicans vs. Jazz spread: Jazz -7
- Pelicans vs. Jazz over-under: 217.5 points
- Pelicans vs. Jazz money line: Jazz -275, Pelicans +235
- NO: The Pelicans are 4-4 against the spread in 2020-21 road games
- UTAH: The Jazz are 9-5 against the spread this season
Why the Pelicans can cover
New Orleans excels on the boards, and that is a substantial advantage in this matchup. The Pelicans are the No. 1 defensive rebounding team in the NBA this season, pulling down 77.3 percent of available rebounds when the opposition misses. On the offensive side, New Orleans also swarms the glass, grabbing 29.9 percent of its own missed shots to rank second in the NBA.
Beyond the rebounding, the Pelicans do a very strong job in the possession battle by winning the free throw game. New Orleans ranks in the top six in both offensive free throw rate and defensive free throw rate, which aids in boosting efficiency. The Pelicans can also protect the paint at a high level, allowing only 40.6 points per game in the lane, and the Jazz turn the ball over on 15.7 percent of possessions, a figure that ranks near the bottom of the NBA in ball security.
Why the Jazz can cover
Utah can take solace in how its offense dismantled New Orleans in the first matchup this week. The Jazz shot 51 percent from the field and a blistering 21-of-47 from 3-point range in the game, generating 28 assists and scoring more than 1.2 points per possession against New Orleans. That also aligns with some season-long weaknesses for the Pelicans, with New Orleans entering the rematch as a bottom-10 defensive team in the NBA.
The Pelicans are yielding 1.11 points per possession for the season and, on the offensive side, New Orleans also has some issues. The visitors have a bottom-five assist rate of 55.7 percent this season, and the Pelicans are near the bottom of the NBA in turnover rate at 15.7 percent. Given that the Pelicans managed to protect the ball at a level beyond their normal means on Tuesday and still suffered a lopsided defeat, there is reason to believe in Utah's ability to repeat their overall effort.
How to make Jazz vs. Pelicans picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, with the teams projected to combine for 220 points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Jazz vs. Pelicans? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Jazz vs. Pelicans spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks.
