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The Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz will play in an inter-conference matchup on Thursday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Pacers-Jazz prediction and pick.
The Jazz and Pacers will battle on Thursday, with the Pacers being on the second half of a back-to-back after losing to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. The Jazz will look to protect their perfect 4-0 home record as the Pacers will look to be spoilers. Indiana is just 1-6 on the road so far this season, so it will be an uphill battle trying to get a win vs. one of, if not the best team at home in the NBA.
Here's how bookmakers have set the Pacers-Jazz odds for this Thursday night matchup.
NBA Odds: Pacers-Jazz Odds
Indiana Pacers +10 (-110)
Utah Jazz -10 (-11o)
Over 215.5 points (-112)
Under 215.5 points (-108)
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Why The Pacers Can Cover The Spread
The Pacers will be big underdogs in Utah on Thursday, and for good reason. In addition to being 1-6 on the road, the Pacers rank 20th in the NBA in net rating. They rank 23rd in defensive rating, which may make for a bad recipe for the Pacers vs. an elite Jazz offense. Indiana may not be as bad as their record, but they are at a serious disadvantage in this spot considering they are also at a rest disadvantage having played last night. The Pacers may be able to cover this large spread on Thursday, but they probably won't find a win in Utah.
Indiana cannot completely be judged by their numbers, as their best player, guard Malcolm Brogdon, has only appeared in seven games this season. The Pacers are just 2-5 in those games, but their net rating jumps almost a full point when he's on the floor. Additionally, the Pacers have a good matchup for Jazz star center Rudy Gobert in Myles Turner. The Pacers are +4.7 points per 100 possessions when Turner is on the floor this season.
Why The Jazz Can Cover The Spread
The Jazz rank second in the NBA in offensive rating, and have not lost this season on their home floor. Utah is one of the best teams in the NBA this season, and should be in a spot to take care of business on Thursday. They have the rest advantage over the Pacers, having not played since Tuesday at home when they beat the Atlanta Hawks. The Pacers should not present to big of a challenge for this Jazz team, so Utah should be in a good spot to cover and win at home on Thursday. The 10-point spread is large, but the Jazz have far more fire power than the Pacers and the are also the better defensive team.
Final Pacers-Jazz Prediction & Pick
The spread is large, so take the Pacers to cover the 10 points. Indiana has sneakily won three of their past five games over some decent competition with Brogdon.
FINAL PACERS-JAZZ PREDICTION & PICK: Pacers +10 (-110)
