Utah Jazz vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction and Betting Tips | Jan. 20, 2024

The New Orleans Pelicans will host the Utah Jazz for their second game in a row on Monday as both teams look to get off the bottom of the Western Conference. A win over the Jazz on Friday lifted the Pelicans off the bottom, and they will hope to create a lead between them with a victory on Monday.

Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans game details and odds

The game between the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans is scheduled for tip-off on January 20 at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. The battle of the two bottom placed teams in the West will be hosted at the Smoothie King Center and will be televised on the Gulf Coast Sports and KJZZ networks, respectively.

Fans can also live stream the match on FuboTV by paying its platform fee or by purchasing the NBA League Pass.

Moneyline: Utah (+450) vs. Pelicans (-700)

Spread: Utah (+11.5) vs. Pelicans (-11.5)

Total (o/u): -110 (o232.5)/ -110 (u232.5)

Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans: Preview

The Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans have been suffering for form all season, as both teams currently reside at the bottom of the Western Conference. After only managing to win 5 games in October, November and December combined, the Pelicans have finally started to turn things around as they have won six games in January alone. The Louisiana team is currently on a three-game win streak, with their most recent win coming against the Jazz in their last fixture.

A big reason for the Pelicans' slow start has been the amount of injuries they have been facing. The likes of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Dejounte Murray are yet to start a game together this season, which has left them without a core starting group. The return of Zion and CJ McCollum has enabled the Pelicans to return to winning ways; however, they are still missing out on five players due to injury, including Brandon Ingram and Dejounte Murray.

The Utah Jazz began the season without any wins in October but have steadily improved since then. They recorded 4 wins in November and 3 wins in December, and they have achieved a similar number of wins in January so far. This brings their total to 10 wins, which is one less than the New Orleans Pelicans.

However, the Pelicans have played three more games than the Jazz. If the Jazz wins tonight, they should be able to climb out of 15th place and switch positions with the Pelicans. In terms of injuries, the Jazz are worse than the Pelicans as they have 7 players out with injury, including the likes of Colin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson.

Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans: Betting Tips

The Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans played out an interesting match on Friday which ended with a score of 136-123. Keyonte George was the highest scorer for the Jazz on the night with 26 points and should be their leading man once again. The star has averaged 26 points in his last two games and should be a favorite to score 20+ points for the Jazz once again.

In terms of the Pelicans, while Zion will be seen as their leading scorer, the big man could sit out of the fixture due to an illness, and in his absence, CJ McCollum should take the charge once again. The former Portland star is thriving as the leading scorer, with him averaging 21.6 points and scoring 26 against the Jazz in their last meeting. CJ should be in favor of dropping 20+ points as he hopes to lead his team to a fourth straight victory.

Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans: Prediction

Although the Pelicans won by 13 points in their last matchup, this game is expected to be much closer. Both teams are eager to secure a victory and distance themselves from the bottom half of the standings.

However, since both teams are likely to be lottery participants this season, it's uncertain how much they will prioritize winning. Additionally, the Jazz are dealing with a depleted roster, missing several key players. This should lead to the Pelicans winning their second consecutive game against the Jazz, as the home-court advantage will be significant for the New Orleans franchise.