Pacers vs. Jazz NBA Picks: Afternoon Delight

Afternoon games are good for the Under, but will the Indiana Pacers spoil our NBA picks when they visit the Utah Jazz this Friday?

Indiana Pacers vs. Utah Jazz

Friday, April 16, 2021 – 03:00 PM EDT at Vivint Smart Home Arena

When you stumble upon a great gimmick, never give it up. Afternoon NBA games have traditionally been a healthy source of revenue for old-school handicappers, driving the Under to the pay window on a regular basis; these matinees are a pain for the players, who don’t like their routines disrupted, and the earlier the game, the better for us. The Utah Jazz will host the Indiana Pacers this Friday at 1 PM local time. Delicious.

Granted, players have fewer Thursday night options in Salt Lake City than they do in other towns like, say, Atlanta or Houston. And the opponents in this case are the Pacers, an organization that prides itself on character and hard work and all that. Oh yeah, there’s a pandemic going on, too. But even if everyone stays locked down and out of trouble, their body clocks are going to be messed up on Friday. The total for this matchup has opened at 234 points on Bovada’s NBA odds board. Let’s see if we can take advantage.

Zoom Zoom

Even if they were playing this game in the evening like nature intended, you’d think the Under would be the right choice for our NBA picks. The Jazz (Under 28-26-1) are very strong on the defensive end, ranking fourth in the league at 105.9 points allowed per 100 possessions. But this year’s team isn’t just about Rudy Gobert denying opponents at the rim. With point guard Mike Conley regaining his form, and finally earning his first All-Star nod, Utah have moved into third place in offensive efficiency at 115.5 points/100, which leaves them hovering around .500 against the total.

The Pacers (Over 32-21-1) aren’t your classic slowpoke team anymore, either. Now that Nate Bjorkgren is their head coach, Indiana have turned on the afterburners, rocketing up from No. 19 to No. 6 in tempo. And they won’t slow down just because they’re on the road; the Over is 19-9-1 this year when the Pacers are away. Wait, why are we recommending the Under again?

Dance With Joe

Oh, yeah: It’s a matinee game. As different as the Pacers look this year, they still have the Under at 4-0 in day games (Utah’s at 2-2). And two of Utah’s most potent offensive weapons could miss this contest. Joe Ingles (plus-3.3 OBPM, plus-1.0 DBPM) and Jordan Clarkson (plus-2.0 OBPM, minus-1.0 DBPM) sat out Tuesday’s 106-96 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, which easily slid Under the posted total of 222 points. They’re both listed as day-to-day heading into Friday’s matchup.

Meanwhile, there’s a good chance Myles Turner (minus-1.2 OBPM, plus-1.9 DBPM) will make his return for Indiana after missing the past five games with a sprained left ankle – the Over went 4-1 in those games. Doug McDermott (plus-1.6 OBPM, minus-2.0 DBPM) is also iffy with a sprained left ankle. Must be contagious. Wait for the shoot-around to see who’s likely to play, bet accordingly, and may the sphere be with you.

NBA Pick: Under 234 (–110) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)

Under 234(-110)

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*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.

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