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Everyone is looking forward to the return of the NBA after the season was abruptly halted by the global coronavirus pandemic. We get our wish Thursday starting with the Jazz-Pelicans game. New Orleans opened at -1.5 with the line swinging to -2.5. The total for this game is 224 after opening at 220.
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TIME: 6:30 p.m. ET. TV: TNT, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, FS New Orleans
Hot Trends
- Jazz are 6-0 Against The Spread in their last 6 games as an underdog but are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
- Jazz are 1-7-1 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
- Pelicans are 23-10-1 ATS in their last 34 games overall.
- Jazz are 9-4-1 ATS in the last 14 meetings.
What Sagarin Says
Sagarin suggests the line should be -2 but in favor of Utah.
Preview
ABOUT THE JAZZ (41-23): Utah enters bubble play in the No. 4 spot in the West but is trying to find chemistry again after forward Bojan Bogdanovic, who ranks second on the team in scoring at an average of 20.2 points while shooting 41.4 percent from 3-point range, underwent wrist surgery during the time off that will keep him out the rest of the way. The Jazz are pushing more shots toward Joe Ingles (9.8 points) and Mike Conley (13.8) during bubble scrimmages and were pleased with the results. "It's great to see Joe come out really aggressive at the beginning of the game, Mike's taking his shot - they're all being as aggressive as we want," Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters after a win over Brooklyn on Monday. "For a team that can shoot it, that will open up a lot of other things - and it has."
ABOUT THE PELICANS (28-36): New Orleans is in Orlando to make a postseason push but intends to keep the long-term future of the team at the front of its thinking when making decisions about playing time. "Our goal is to make the playoffs, but we're not going to do anything ridiculous," Gentry told reporters. "We're not going to make crazy decisions based on trying to make a playoff run. We're going to do it the best way we possibly can. We're going to manage our team the best way we possibly can. We know that we have a bright future, so we won't risk anything based on that." Williamson averaged 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 19 games after missing three months recovering from knee surgery and forms a potent scoring duo with 22-year-old All-Star forward Brandon Ingram (24.3 points).
- Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com
