The New Orleans Pelicans welcome the Utah Jazz to the Smoothie King Center. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 10 and can be seen on RT and FSN.
The Pelicans are hoping for a better outcome after their 112-111 loss to the Rockets in their last matchup. Jrue Holiday was the team’s leading scorer with 32 points. The Jazz, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their close 95-92 loss against the Pistons in their last game. Utah still lost despite the best efforts of Rudy Gobert, who recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 17 points and 17 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Holiday has taken his game to another level for the Pelicans, averaging 18.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 three-pointers. The Jazz also have their own player combo that has upped their production in that same time frame. Gobert has averaged 14.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.6 blocks, while Gordon Hayward has put up 24.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.4 three-pointers.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Pelicans had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 104-94 win. Despite the loss, Derrick Favors had a standout performance with 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block.
The Pelicans have gone 19-32 Straight Up (SU) and 21-30 Against The Spread (ATS). While they boast a record of against Western Conference opponents at home, they have struggled to beat the spread in those same games, going 10-15. The Pelicans are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .793 from the free throw line. New Orleans’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 92.8 during that span, compared to its 104.9 season average.
In the other locker room, the Jazz have a record of 26-23-1 ATS and 25-25 SU. Against the Western Conference, Utah is 25-25 SU and 26-23-1 ATS. Offensively, the Jazz have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 97.8 points per game by averaging 104.9 during that stretch. The Jazz average 96.3 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 103.8 points per game during that span.
New Orleans beat Utah in their most recent meeting this season, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the last 10 meetings. On the other hand, the Jazz hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-2-2.
Predictions: SU Winner – Uta
Notes
“New Orleans is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 10 of New Orleans’s last 13 games “.
“New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“New Orleans is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 8 of New Orleans’s last 9 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Orleans’s last 9 games when playing Utah”.
“New Orleans is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Utah”.
New Orleans averages 102.3 points per game (ranked 11th). However, Utah has allowed an average of just 96.3 points per game (ranked third).
Utah has allowed an average of 99.7 points per away game this season. New Orleans averages 106.3 points per home game, placing the team fifth in scoring.
The Utah Jazz lost their last game by a three-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, the New Orleans Pelicans are 3-3. Utah is 2-5 in close games this season.
Utah has an 18-7 record when opponents score fewer than 100 points. New Orleans has yet to win a game in which it scores under 100 (0-20).
The Utah Jazz have an abysmal 1-18 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The New Orleans Pelicans are 16-8 when they hit the century mark.
The Pelicans have a defensive rating of 107.0 (ranked 28th), while the Jazz rank 11th for their offensive rating of 103.8.
New Orleans has an average field goal percentage of 44.7%. Utah is a subpar 3-21 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, New Orleans attempts 24.0 three pointers and Utah attempts 23.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, both have losing records. The Pelicans are 8-14 while the Jazz sit at 6-12.
The New Orleans Pelicans, with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.67, rank 10th in the NBA. The Utah Jazz have a lower A/TO (1.31), ranking 28th.
The New Orleans Pelicans rebound 42.6 times per game and are ranked 22nd. Ranked 23rd, the Utah Jazz rebound 42.4 times per game.
The Utah Jazz rank seventh in offensive rebounding, while the New Orleans Pelicans rank 13th in defensive rebounding.
Utah is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 14.8% (ranked 10th). New Orleans has a poor record of 4-11 SU this season when its TOV% reaches 14.8% or greater.
