Pelicans vs. Jazz Thursday Prediction
The Pelicans have not been a profitable follow for bettors when they visit the Jazz, which will be the case on Thursday night when the two teams meet at 10:00 p.m. ET in Utah. Will New Orleans cover this time around as a 6.5-point underdog?
Game Snapshot
527 New Orleans Pelicans (+6.5) at 528 Utah Jazz (-6.5); o/u 217.5
12:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, January 21, 2021
Venue: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
TV: TNT
New Orleans Pelicans DFS Spin
Zion Williamson is the first Pelicans player, and the youngest player in NBA history to record back-to-back games with 30 or more points on 70% shooting or better. It’s all been shooting inside the paint, but that doesn’t mean what Williamson’s doing isn’t impressive. In his last two games, he’s made 27-of-34 shots from the field (79.4%) and scored 63 points. Williamson has a long way to go to develop into a franchise cornerstone, especially on the defensive end. But at 20 years old, his talent is evident. For fantasy purposes, Williamson ranks No. 96 in 9-cat leagues because of his poor shooting from the free-throw line and from distance. He isn’t an incredible play-maker yet, either.
Utah Jazz DFS Spin
Rudy Gobert posted a line of 13 points (6-of-8 FGs, 1-of-6 FTs), 18 rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocked shots in 30 minutes Tuesday vs. the Pelicans. Gobert dominated his matchup with Steven Adams, and he finished the game one rebound shy of his season-high (January 10 vs. Detroit). The negative for Gobert, both in Tuesday’s game and the season as a whole, has been his free throw shooting. He was 1-of-6 from the stripe on Tuesday, and for the season he’s making just 46.7% of his attempts. Fantasy managers who have Gobert rostered will either need to punt free throws, as he’s averaging just over five attempts per game, or hope that other players on their rosters will pick up the slack.
Pelicans vs. Jazz Betting Prediction
The Pelicans are 4-11-1 against the spread in their last 16 games versus the Jazz and are 7-15-3 against the number in their last 25 meetings in Utah. New Orleans has also dropped five of its last seven games ATS, is 3-7 against the number in its last 10 games as an underdog and is 1-4 at the betting window in its last five games as a road underdog. On the other side, the Jazz are a perfect 6-0 against the spread in their last six games overall and are 5-0 against the number in their last five games as a favorite.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: UTAH JAZZ -6.5