NBA Parlay Picks of the Day
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Utah Jazz
Tuesday, January 18, 2021 at 9 p.m. ET at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah
Three-Pointers
Before the season, Utah stated its aim to attempt more three-pointers.
After ranking 10th last year in number of three-pointers attempted per game, they currently rank third in the category.
Team scoring leader Donovan Mitchell is someone who will create shooting opportunities for himself.
He’s effective off the bounce, using, among other moves, a step-back in order to create space for himself behind the arc.
Fellow guard Jordan Clarkson is likewise someone who is comfortable off the dribble and will use his ball-handling skills to create a three-point opportunity for himself.
Both players are particularly difficult to guard because they are also dangerous driving to the basket.
This is why the step-back is an effective move: because it plays on the defender’s awareness that the guy he is guarding is difficult to contain driving to the basket.
If defenders give Mitchell or Clarkson too much room, they will take advantage by attempting a shot. if defenders guard either player too closely then both are capable of driving past their defender.
Besides Mitchell and Clarkson, there are shooters who do not prefer to create for themselves.
Bojan Bogdanovic, for example, prefers to attempt assisted three-pointers. He is able to be an effective catch-and-shoot guy because he gets himself open in a variety of ways.
One thing he’ll do is act like he’s setting a screen in order to lose his defender.
Mike Conley, too, is someone who is consistent and reliable when he’s open behind the arc.
While Mitchell “only” converts 37.4 percent of his three-point attempts and Bogdanovic is knocking down just over 38 percent of them, Clarkson and Conley are converting over 42 percent of their three-point attempts.
New Orleans’ Three-Point Defense
Utah is stacked with guys who can shoot the three whether they are open or whether they are initially not open.
New Orleans is especially vulnerable tonight defensively because the Pelicans are one of the worst teams at preventing opponents from attempting open shots.
The Pelicans allow the eighth-highest rate of open three-point attempts. They also allow the highest rate of wide open three-point attempts. These two stats mean that opposing shooters very frequently enjoy at least four feet of separation from the nearest New Orleans defender.
So Utah matches up well with the Pelicans because the Pelicans would rather face a team that wants to score inside. Utah is built to exploit the Pelicans’ defensive weakness.
New Orleans Offense vs. Utah Defense
It’s hard to find many faults with Utah’s defense, which ranks fourth in opposing points per game.
But the Jazz perimeter defense has been a tad shaky especially early in the season.
After the Jazz devoted so much attention during the offseason to solidifying their interior defense, they allowed some teams to perform well against them behind the arc.
But Utah defenders became more aggressive behind the perimeter. They are more able to force turnovers, which is difficult for the Pelicans to protect themselves against. The Pelicans rank 26th in turnovers allowed.
Also, New Orleans is not built to exploit Utah’s defensive “weakness.” The Pelicans rank 27th in three-pointers attempted per game because they would rather rely on slashers and strong driving forces like Zion in order to score their points.
But the Pelicans match up poorly with Utah because Utah owns the NBA’s top interior defense based on opposing two-point percentage and opposing field goal percentage on attempts made within 10 feet of the basket.
The Jazz are strong inside largely thanks to elite shot-blocker Rudy Gobert, who has won the Defensive Player of the Year award multiple times. Gobert will get to stay near the basket since his New Orleans counterpart does not operate behind the arc.
The Verdict
Utah is playing at a high level on both ends of the court. The Jazz have covered their last five games.
Defensively, they’ve stifled non-playoff teams like Detroit, Cleveland, and Atlanta. They held each team to 92 points or fewer.
So expect the Pelicans to struggle to reach 90 points while Utah easily reaches its scoring average of 110 points given its match-up advantages against the Pelican defense.
Best Bet: Parlay Jazz -6 at -110 & Under 218.5 at -115 at +257 odds with Bookmaker
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Utah Jazz
Tuesday, January 18, 2021 at 9 p.m. ET at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah
Three-Pointers
Before the season, Utah stated its aim to attempt more three-pointers.
After ranking 10th last year in number of three-pointers attempted per game, they currently rank third in the category.
Team scoring leader Donovan Mitchell is someone who will create shooting opportunities for himself.
He’s effective off the bounce, using, among other moves, a step-back in order to create space for himself behind the arc.
Fellow guard Jordan Clarkson is likewise someone who is comfortable off the dribble and will use his ball-handling skills to create a three-point opportunity for himself.
Both players are particularly difficult to guard because they are also dangerous driving to the basket.
This is why the step-back is an effective move: because it plays on the defender’s awareness that the guy he is guarding is difficult to contain driving to the basket.
If defenders give Mitchell or Clarkson too much room, they will take advantage by attempting a shot. if defenders guard either player too closely then both are capable of driving past their defender.
Besides Mitchell and Clarkson, there are shooters who do not prefer to create for themselves.
Bojan Bogdanovic, for example, prefers to attempt assisted three-pointers. He is able to be an effective catch-and-shoot guy because he gets himself open in a variety of ways.
One thing he’ll do is act like he’s setting a screen in order to lose his defender.
Mike Conley, too, is someone who is consistent and reliable when he’s open behind the arc.
While Mitchell “only” converts 37.4 percent of his three-point attempts and Bogdanovic is knocking down just over 38 percent of them, Clarkson and Conley are converting over 42 percent of their three-point attempts.
New Orleans’ Three-Point Defense
Utah is stacked with guys who can shoot the three whether they are open or whether they are initially not open.
New Orleans is especially vulnerable tonight defensively because the Pelicans are one of the worst teams at preventing opponents from attempting open shots.
The Pelicans allow the eighth-highest rate of open three-point attempts. They also allow the highest rate of wide open three-point attempts. These two stats mean that opposing shooters very frequently enjoy at least four feet of separation from the nearest New Orleans defender.
So Utah matches up well with the Pelicans because the Pelicans would rather face a team that wants to score inside. Utah is built to exploit the Pelicans’ defensive weakness.
New Orleans Offense vs. Utah Defense
It’s hard to find many faults with Utah’s defense, which ranks fourth in opposing points per game.
But the Jazz perimeter defense has been a tad shaky especially early in the season.
After the Jazz devoted so much attention during the offseason to solidifying their interior defense, they allowed some teams to perform well against them behind the arc.
But Utah defenders became more aggressive behind the perimeter. They are more able to force turnovers, which is difficult for the Pelicans to protect themselves against. The Pelicans rank 26th in turnovers allowed.
Also, New Orleans is not built to exploit Utah’s defensive “weakness.” The Pelicans rank 27th in three-pointers attempted per game because they would rather rely on slashers and strong driving forces like Zion in order to score their points.
But the Pelicans match up poorly with Utah because Utah owns the NBA’s top interior defense based on opposing two-point percentage and opposing field goal percentage on attempts made within 10 feet of the basket.
The Jazz are strong inside largely thanks to elite shot-blocker Rudy Gobert, who has won the Defensive Player of the Year award multiple times. Gobert will get to stay near the basket since his New Orleans counterpart does not operate behind the arc.
The Verdict
Utah is playing at a high level on both ends of the court. The Jazz have covered their last five games.
Defensively, they’ve stifled non-playoff teams like Detroit, Cleveland, and Atlanta. They held each team to 92 points or fewer.
So expect the Pelicans to struggle to reach 90 points while Utah easily reaches its scoring average of 110 points given its match-up advantages against the Pelican defense.
Best Bet: Parlay Jazz -6 at -110 & Under 218.5 at -115 at +257 odds with Bookmaker
