The Utah Jazz will face the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday at the Smoothie King Center. This will be the fourth and final meeting between the two teams this season. Utah has a weaker roster, but they still hold a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head. Each game in their series has been very close, so the next contest will probably be the same as well. Meanwhile, Zion Williamson and the Pelicans have been on an up and down journey in their last five matches. They have been alternating wins and losses during that period. New Orleans will have to be at their best, as Utah has given them a tough time this season.
The Jazz have lost their last two games, but they played well in their losses against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday and the Houston Rockets on Saturday. They lost by a combined five points, including a 127-126 overtime thriller to the Rockets.
Preview
Before their consecutive losses, the Utah Jazz had won 12 of 14 games and were playing like a strong team that could compete for the playoffs. If they can execute their game plan, they are capable of beating the Pelicans on Tuesday. The New Orleans Pelicans lost the game against the Phoenix Suns on Friday as Devin Booker scored a massive 52 points.
The Pelicans’ offense has been great since the beginning of this year and they own the second-best offensive rating this month. However, New Orleans’ defense did not perform as many expected. They will face another tough night if their defense fails to pick up their offense against the Jazz.
Starting lineup
The Utah Jazz’s likely starting lineup for the upcoming game will be John Collins, Lauri Markkanen, Simon Fontecchio, Collin Sexton and Kris Dunn. The New Orleans Pelicans’ starting lineup is likely to include Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Jonas Valanciunas and CJ McCollum.
Prediction
The Jazz have become a good road team over the past two months, Meanwhile, New Orleans is only 13-9 at home. Utah is likely to cover the spread. The combined averages of Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans is 234.0 ppg. Betting under total points prop seems to be the logical choice for the upcoming game between two teams.
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