The Utah Jazz (39-22) travel to the Big Easy Friday to play the New Orleans Pelicans (26-36) at the Smoothie King Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Jazz vs. Pelicans odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Utah has won three straight since the All-Star break over the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets but is just 1-2 against the spread (ATS) in those contests.
NOLA is also 3-0 straight up (SU) following the All-Star Game with victories versus the Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings but is 3-0 ATS over that stretch.
The Jazz are 2-1 SU and ATS versus the Pelicans this season, and the total is 1-2 Over/Under (O/U).
Jazz at Pelicans odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:05 p.m. ET.
- Money line (ML): Jazz -180 (bet $180 to win $100) | Pelicans +145 (bet $100 to win $145)
- Against the spread: Jazz -4.5 (-108) | Pelicans +4.5 (-112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 222.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Jazz at Pelicans key injuries
Jazz
- None
Pelicans
- None
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Jazz at Pelicans odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Pelicans 113, Jazz 110
Money line
Slight “LEAN” to the PELICANS (+145) for a small wager, if at all, because NOLA’s spread is the much sharper wager than the Jazz (-180) since big Rudy Gobert returned to action Valentine’s Day.
Since Feb. 14, Utah is 4-1 SU with the fourth-best adjusted net rating (plus-9.8), according to CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG). But, the Pelicans are 4-2 SU with an even better adjusted net rating (plus-13.3, ranked second), per CTG.
Also, NOLA has been playing much better defense than Utah over that span. The Pelicans are third in adjusted net rating while the Jazz are 22nd, per CTG.
Again, if anything, go LITE on the PELICANS (+145) since NOLA, plus the points, is the better play.
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Against the spread
Definitely BET the PELICANS +4.5 (-112), instead of heavier than their ML, because this is just a better spot for NOLA.
For instance, since Valentine’s Day, the Pelicans have the best ATS margin (plus-16.1), and the Jazz have a 0.0 ATS margin (ranked 14th), per CTG.
Furthermore, NOLA is 10-8 ATS at home versus teams with a winning record, and Utah is just 8-16-1 ATS versus teams with a winning record.
And while the Pelicans don’t have a winning record technically, NOLA is above-.500 since a disastrous 1-12 overall start to the season.
Finally, there’s reverse line movement (RLM) in NOLA’s direction since Utah opened up as a 5.5-point favorite but have been lowered down to the current price despite getting a majority of the action, according to Pregame.com. It’s a red flag whenever sportsbooks make the more popular side cheaper.
The PELICANS +4.5 (-112) is my favorite wager in this game.
Over/Under
PASS since my prediction aligns with the market’s projected total so there’s no value in this number for me.
For what it’s worth, NOLA is 17-30 O/U as underdogs, Utah is 26-28-1 O/U as favorites, and the Over has cashed in 22 of the past 31 Jazz-Pelicans meetings.
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