Utah Jazz vs. Indiana Pacers Prediction: Can Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers Start Fast Against Jazz
The Indiana Pacers are hosting the Utah Jazz in a Wednesday night battle of up and coming teams. Can Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers get off to a hot start in the first half? Ben Rajavuori provides his analysis and best bet in Jazz vs. Pacers.
Ben Rajavuori - November 8, 2023, 4:20 PM EST
5 minUtah Jazz vs. Indiana Pacers Prediction: Can Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers Start Fast Against Jazz
The Indiana Pacers host the Utah Jazz from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis tonight. The Pacers are coming off their best offensive outing of the season, as they beat the Spurs 152-111. The Pacers have won two of their last three games to improve to 4-3 on the season. The Jazz are coming off three straight losses and are now 2-6 on the season. The Pacers are -6.5 favorites tonight to no one's surprise.
Jazz vs. Pacers Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: November 8, 2023
- Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: NBA League Pass
Utah Jazz vs. Indiana Pacers Prediction
The Jazz have not been playing well on the road this season. They have started 0-4 on the road with losses to the Suns, Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Bulls. The closest road loss they have had was by eight to the Nuggets. The Jazz are in a rebuild right now after trading away a lot of their players like Malik Beasley, Mike Conley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Rudy Gobert.
The Jazz are led by leading scorer Lauri Markkanen, who is averaging 24 points a game, but they do not have a lot of offensive identity besides him. Jordan Clarkson had a standout year last season but has fallen off offensively this year. Aside from offensive identity, the Jazz also rank 28th in defensive efficiency, third-worst in the NBA. They have given up big games to good offenses early this season, and the Pacers have one of the highest-flying, dynamic offenses early on this season.
I know the Pacers might be due for a little regression, but their offense ranks first overall in the NBA with a 120.4 offensive rating. The Pacer's game plan is to outscore their opponents by just pushing the pace as fast as possible and not looking back by making sure they outshoot whoever they play, and I've got to say, it's kind of working for them. Their only bad loss was to the Celtics when they lost 104-155, but against teams with worse defenses, their style of basketball thrives.
Tyrese Haliburton has been averaging 24 points per game early this season, with Myles Turner having another good season so far, averaging 16.4 points per game. The best part about this Pacers' offense is they have depth. They have seven guys averaging over 11 points per game. Their perimeter shooting has been on fire, with Haliburton averaging 3.0 3s a game on 40% perimeter shooting. Buddy Hield is averaging 3.4 threes per game on 46% perimeter shooting. Bruce Brown, an offseason addition from the Nuggets, is averaging 2.0 threes per game on 45.2% perimeter shooting. The Pacers have six guys shooting 40% or better from deep, which makes it difficult for opposing teams to stop when so many guys are shooting well.
The Pacers are 5-2 against the spread in the first half this season. They are 4-1 against the spread at home in the first half. Their offensive style makes it difficult in the opening two quarters until teams can adjust at halftime. The Pacers have a deep roster of scoring and can light up the scoreboard quickly. The Pacers are averaging 63 first-half points per game this season, which is second in the NBA. With the Jazz ranking 28th in defensive efficiency, I think the Pacers make the Jazz uncomfortable early with their pace and are up at least six at halftime.
Utah Jazz vs. Indiana Pacers Pick
2 Unit Play: Pacers First Half -3.5 (-110) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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