The first NBA game in the league’s restart comes on Thursday night between the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans. The Jazz bring in a record of 41-23 and hold the fourth seed in the West at this time. They have clinched a playoff spot, but the next eight games could influence their seeding. New Orleans has a record of 28-36, in tenth in the West and 3 ½ games behind Memphis for the eighth spot. Portland and Sacramento are also eight games below .500, and San Antonio is just a half-game back of them, so New Orleans has plenty of competition to try and climb into the top eight. Can the Pelicans win the “bubble” opener? Or will the Jazz give the Pelicans their 37th loss of the season? Don’t miss our sports betting preview and while you are thinking about it, check out the NBA Odds for the game and place a bet on it
NBA: Utah vs New Orleans (July 30)
When: Thursday, July 30, 2020, 6:30 pm ET Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando TV: TNT Radio: 1280 AM The Zone Salt Lake City / ESPN 103.3 FM New Orleans Live Stream: fuboTV NBA Odds: New Orleans -2 / O/U 227
Why should you bet on Utah?
Utah Jazz | Check the Odds
Utah has established themselves as a Western Conference contender. Adding Mike Conley via trade and bringing in Bojan Bogdanovic through free agency gave the Jazz two additional pieces. Conley is not playing as much as he was in Memphis, but he still averages 13.8 points per game and has played well alongside Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt. Bogdanovic was averaging 20.2 points per game and was shooting 41.4 percent from downtown, taking pressure off Mitchell. However, Bogdanovic has an injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season.
Mitchell was averaging 24.2 points per game, but he will have a hard time keeping that up without Bogdanovic to draw defensive pressure away from him. It will be interesting to see how Mike Conley can step up to fill that gap. Rudy Gobert will patrol the paint, and the Jazz will need him to protect the rim if they expect to win. One reason why the Pelicans are favored here is the absence of Bogdanovic, but if you like the Jazz, you see the rest of the team rising to the occasion to take down a young Pelicans team.
Why should you put your money on the Pelicans?
New Orleans Pelicans | Check the Odds
Remember that Pelicans phenom Zion Williamson did not make his debut until January. After that point, he had averaged 23.6 points per game, shooting 58.9 percent from the floor. After he joined the team, the Pelicans started working their way up the standings. At Duke, Williamson had developed a reputation for using just his athleticism and strength to bull his way to the basket, but as a Pelican Williamson was already starting to refine his game for the NBA.
Obviously, Williamson is not the only player who will contribute for the Pelicans. Brandon Ingram, named to the All-Star game, was averaging 24.3 points per game in his first season as a Pelican. Jrue Holiday is a proven scorer from the shooting guard position and is also a lockdown defender. Lonzo Ball runs the point and can make plays as well as defend. The Pelicans’ weak link in their starting five is their center. Currently, Derrick Favors is the starter but is undersized for that position at 6’9”. Rudy Gobert, an elite center and rim defender, could spend the game taking Favors to the woodshed. If you like the Pelicans, though, this one mismatch won’t be enough to keep them from the win.
Final Score and Prediction
Getting Zion Williamson was a major coup for the Pelicans, and even if they don’t end up in the playoffs this year, adding pieces around him will make the Pelicans a contender in future seasons. It’s hard to argue that, even without Bogdanovic, the Jazz don’t have the system to keep up with the Pelicans. New Orleans does have more motivation, needing wins to get in the top eight, but I’m not buying the Pelicans as a favorite here.
I predict a final score of Utah 108, New Orleans 102.
Western Conference Standings | Time for some NBA Action
| # | Team | W-L | PCT | DIV | L10 | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lakers | 49-14 | .778 | 9-2 | 8-2 | L1 |
| 2 | Clippers | 44-20 | .688 | 8-4 | 7-3 | W1 |
| 3 | Nuggets | 43-22 | .662 | 10-1 | 5-5 | L1 |
| 4 | Jazz | 41-23 | .641 | 5-5 | 5-5 | L1 |
| 5 | Thunder | 40-24 | .625 | 7-4 | 8-2 | W3 |
| 6 | Rockets | 40-24 | .625 | 7-4 | 6-4 | W1 |
| 7 | Mavericks | 40-27 | .597 | 10-3 | 6-4 | W1 |
| 8 | Grizzlies | 32-33 | .492 | 4-7 | 4-6 | L1 |
| 9 | Trail Blazers | 29-37 | .439 | 4-8 | 4-6 | W1 |
| 10 | Pelicans | 28-36 | .438 | 3-8 | 5-5 | W2 |
| 11 | Kings | 28-36 | .438 | 7-5 | 7-3 | L1 |
| 12 | Spurs | 27-36 | .429 | 4-6 | 5-5 | W1 |
| 13 | Suns | 26-39 | .400 | 5-9 | 4-6 | L1 |
| 14 | Timberwolves | 19-45 | .297 | 2-10 | 3-7 | L3 |
| 15 | Warriors | 15-50 | .231 | 2-11 | 3-7 | L1 |
