The Utah Jazz (34-30) will try to prolong their eight-game road winning streak in a matchup against the Indiana Pacers (37-27) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 7, 2018.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 200 points with Indiana opening as a 1-point favorite.
Utah Jazz vs. Indiana Pacers Free Prediction
The Jazz come in on a high note after beating the Orlando Magic in their last game, 94-80. The Jazz held the Magic to an effective field goal percentage of 0.406 (below their season average of 0.524) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 12.5 (below their season average of 20.2). With 21 points on 9-for-10 shooting, Rudy Gobert was the top scorer from either team.
The last time the Pacers played, they won a close one over the Milwaukee Bucks, 92-89. The Pacers forced 16 turnovers, while the Bucks had a free throw rate of 0.184 (below their season average of 0.228). Bojan Bogdanovic was the game’s leading scorer with 29 points on 9-for-13 shooting.
Half-court execution will be critical when two of the NBA’s slowest-paced teams face off. Indiana currently ranks 21st in possessions per game (98.2) and Utah is 28th (97.0).
Utah comes into the game with records of 34-30 straight up (SU) and 33-31 against the spread (ATS). Games including the Jazz have a slight tendency to finish under the total (53.1 percent).
Meanwhile, Indiana is 37-27 SU and 36-28 ATS. Pacers games have a tendency to go under the total (56.3 percent).
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Gobert (17.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.4 steals) has been great for the Jazz while Bogdanovic (18.2 points) has contributed greatly to the Pacers.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. Victor Oladipo scored a game-high 28 points in the first matchup, in which the Pacers defeated the Jazz 109-94, covering as 4.5-point underdogs. He also had six rebounds and six assists. The game finished with a total of 203 points, which was just 4.5 points below the projected point total of 207.5 points. The Pacers had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.623 vs. 0.500) and had a better offensive rebounding percentage (21.6 vs. 20.5).
Utah Jazz vs. Indiana Pacers Betting Pick
Free Prediction: SU Winner – Jazz, ATS Winner – Jazz, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Utah is 15-17 ATS on the road with 17 overs, 14 unders and 1 push.
At home, Indiana is 19-14 ATS with 18 unders, 14 overs and 1 push.
When allowing below 100 points, Utah is 22-5 and Indiana is 22-2.
The Jazz are 26-11 when they score more than 100 points, while the Pacers are 30-14.
Indiana ranks third in fast break points per game (15.0) while Utah ranks 25th (9.4).
The Pacers rank fourth in steals per game (8.6) while the Jazz rank 23rd in steals allowed per game (8.3).
Utah ranks eighth in three pointers allowed per game (27.0) while Indiana ranks 26th (30.6).
The Jazz rank third in second chance points allowed per game (10.7) while the Pacers rank 20th (13.0).
Utah ranks fourth in points allowed in the paint per game (42.1) while Indiana ranks 18th (45.3).
The Pacers average 18.3 points off turnovers per game, which ranks fourth in the league. The Jazz rank 16th in points off turnovers allowed per game (16.3).
Utah ranks first in assists allowed per game (20.1) while Indiana ranks 11th (22.7).
The Jazz average 4.8 blocks per game, which ranks 13th in the NBA. The Pacers rank 22nd in blocks allowed per game (5.1).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Utah is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Indiana is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Jazz’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.0, up from 1.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Pacers have scored an average of 99.6 points per game (6.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 99.2 points per game (5.6 below their season average).
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