Jazz vs Pelicans Picks and Odds

• The Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans matchup for the third time this season on March 1st
• Utah won the previous two meetings and sits atop the Western Conference
• Get the latest odds, betting preview and a pick below

The Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans meet in the headline matchup on March 1st’s NBA schedule. Utah is favored by 6.5 points over the Pels, who lost the two previous regular season clashes by double figures.

New Orleans is 3-7 over their last 10, while the Jazz continue to dominate the league. Utah is 27-7 on the season after losing just two games in February. Utah were without Mike Conley (injury recovery) last time out, but they could have the veteran guard available for this one. JJ Redick (hamstring) is sidelined for a couple of weeks for New Orleans.

Jazz vs Pelicans Odds

Odds taken on March 1st from FanDuel

Zion vs Gobert

Only nine players scored more per game than Zion Williamson in February. The former Duke forward shot just under 65% from the field, and his matchup with this Jazz team is fascinating. Williamson scored 59 across the two losses to Utah earlier this season on trademark efficiency. His role has changed since then, however, with ball handling a much more significant part of his game. Zion’s February assist tally was double his January number in only three more games.

Putting the ball in Williamson’s hands has caused problems for defenses. Shooters screen for him and either force a favorable switch or create a driving lane. Utah, like most teams, is ill-equipped to switch any screen involving Zion. In Gobert, though, they have one of the league’s premier rim protectors.

Gobert has not been able to stop Williamson impacting the game in previous meetings – how will he fare on Monday?

Zion Williamson in February:

27.3 PPG
64.7 FG%

He is the first player to average 25+ points on 60% shooting in a month since Shaquille O’Neal in January 2005 (min 15 games). pic.twitter.com/Ft495ineJP

— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 28, 2021

Williamson and Gobert may not matchup directly throughout the game. The Jazz will need Gobert to stay at the rim and limit Steven Adams’ impact. New Orleans’ chances of an upset in this one will, however, depend on how impactful Williamson can be as both a playmaker and scorer.

Shaky Pels Defense

New Orleans’ defense was the worst in the NBA in February. They don’t force turnovers. They rank 29th in quantity of opponent threes. Only two teams are giving up a worse field goal percentage at the rim, and while giving up all those threes, opponents are shooting almost 40% from deep.

Zion in February (15 games):

💪 27.3 PPG
💪 64.7% FG
💪 6.5 RPG
💪 4.5 APG

His top plays from the month! 👀#WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/HpSAY05nSC

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 1, 2021

None of that bodes well against Utah. The Jazz might not get to the rim much as a team, but Gobert is a constant lob threat. They are shooting threes at an historic level, with over 45% of their shots coming from beyond the arc. Quin Snyder’s team rank third in three-point shooting percentage, too.

The Pelicans defense is brutal. Easiest PNR bucket of all time because of a lack of activity to go alongside the hedge. DeMar was on fire but got to hedge better than this. pic.twitter.com/k34t8hRkhu

— Joe (@JoeHulbertNBA) February 28, 2021

The Jazz scored 118 and 129 in their previous two wins over the Pels. They averaged 119.9 points per game in February, a mark only bettered by the Pelicans.

Monday Shootout

New Orleans has found their rhythm on offense. Williamson as a ball handler has opened up space, and caused opposing defenses endless problems. Lonzo Ball, after starting the season ice-cold, shot almost 46% from three last month. Eric Bledsoe was over 38% from deep, too. The Pelicans lead in the NBA in hitting the over, having reached the total points over in almost 73% of their games.

Utah is going to get the shots they want. The ball movement will open up plenty of threes against this Pels defense, and the Jazz continue to drain those shots at a phenomenal rate. Their roster is stacked with shooting. The Pelicans have developed into a near-elite offensive team too, though, and even against a great Utah defense, they should be able to rack up 110 or more points. Williamson is an unsolvable problem as a playmaker.

The Jazz are 12-8-1 on the over with one day off, as they have here. Backing the over has been a good formula with these Pels – it’s hit in 24 of their games so far this season.

Pick: Over 235.5 points (-110)