NBA: Indiana Pacers vs Utah Jazz Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Indiana Pacers continue their tour through the Western Conference, visiting the Utah Jazz. The Pacers had a rough night in Denver against the injured Nuggets, suffering a defeat. Less than 24 hours later, they need to face one of the top contenders for the title. Pretty nasty, wouldn’t you agree? The Jazz had a little slowdown, which was stopped against the Atlanta Hawks. Still, they would need to start winning in series in order to fully recover and get back to the winning mode.

Preview

Indiana Pacers (4-8, +350) suffered a narrow loss in Colorado, 101-98, against the Nuggets, who didn’t have Jokic, Porter, and Jamal Murray. But, the Pacers couldn’t stop Will Barton, and the sharpshooting guard scored 30 buckets.

The contest has been close for all 48 minutes, and neither side managed to break free and create some notable advantage. With Jokic suspended, the Pacers had an advantage under the rim, utilizing the absence of the reigning MVP to have more boards 48-39 and to score more points from the paint, 56-42. Yet even that couldn’t help them win.

Malcolm Brogdon ended the night with 25 points, fantastic Domantas Sabonis had 20 but with 19 rebounds. The big fell has been superb in the last two years, and he is most definitely among the top 10 frontcourt players in the NBA. We also want to mention TJ McConnell, with 16 buckets off the bench, shooting 8-for-11.

Utah Jazz (8-3, -450) have two days off following a game against the Hawks, and they are now fully rested following a three-game tour through the East, and a comeback trip home before the match vs. Atlanta. Most of the players cleared their minor injuries, waiting for tonight’s matchup 100% healthy.

Both the Jazz defense and offense are among the best in the league, and that is because of several excellent two-way players and a very deep roster Quin Snyder has at his disposal.

In a 110-98 win against the Hawks, Utah shot 50.6% from the field, dropping 15 threes along the way. They would also limit the guests to just 32 boards, and we need to add that the Hawks are one of the best teams in the NBA when it comes to securing rebounds. Mitchell had 27 points, Bogdanovic 18, and Jordan Clarkson 16 off the bench. Rudy Gobert had only nine, but 14 boards with two steals and blocks.

Head to Head Games

The overall series between these two sides is leveled with 46 wins on both sides. Jazz won both matches in the 2021 season, the first at home 103-95 and the second on the road, 119-111.

Prediction

The spread on the Jazz is -9 points, and although it is risky, we will go with it. The hosts had more time to prepare for this rival and to rest following their challenges, while on the other side, the Pacers are coming to Salt Lake tired and also demoralized because of a close loss. They had high hopes for last night’s event, but eventually after intense battle, left Mile High empty-handed. All this will have a certain impact, and overall, that is why we decided to go with the Jazz covering the spread.

Pick: Jazz -9