Tonight the Charlotte Hornets hope to solidify their playoff positioning but will have a tough task with the Utah Jazz in town. Utah was embarrassed by the Boston Celtics in their last game which was their second consecutive loss. They need to get back on the winning track so that they can maintain the home-court advantage in the first round. Here is all you need to know for your best bets.
Utah Jazz vs. Charlotte Hornets
Friday, March 25, 2022 – 07:00 PM EDT at Spectrum Center
Jazz Defense Let Them Down in Boston
The Boston Celtics came out of the gate on fire in the first quarter of their last game and took an early double-digit lead that the Jazz simply could not overcome. It only got worse from there as they would go on to lose 125-97.
Although the Jazz are a good defensive team, there has to be a level of concern about their ability to defend the wing. We know about their interior defense which remains one of the league's best led by defensive anchor Rudy Gobert.
Offensively, the Jazz are one of the league's best. They rank in the top ten in points per game, two-point, and three-point percentage as well. That offensive efficiency makes them a real contender come playoff time but they will need to sort out how to defend the perimeter.
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Tonight they take on one of the best offenses in the league in the Charlotte Hornets. This line opened at Utah -4 and has remained there with a few -3.5's available depending on the top sportsbook where you shop.
Hornets Need to Bounce Back After Loss to Knicks
The Hornets had been playing really well prior to their surprising loss to New York in their last game. They currently sit in 9th place in the Eastern Conference which would qualify them for the play-in tournament which is right around the corner.
Tonight they've got a tough one against a Jazz team that has dominated them historically. In terms of recent history, Charlotte lost by 10 in Utah although they did cover the +12.5-point spread.
Speaking of covering, the Hornets have been great against (ATS) the spread all season. They are 39-32-2 against the number which is much better than Utah, who is 31-39-3 ATS.
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As I've mentioned earlier, the Jazz issues defending the perimeter could be a problem again tonight against this Hornets team. All-Star LaMelo Ball has really grown as a player and his size is a real issue for opposing guards. The fact that he's a pass-first guard is what makes this team so dangerous.
Jazz Are Being Undervalued Here
My official NBA pick for tonight's game is Jazz -3.5 (-111) which is available online.
The biggest weakness for the Charlotte Hornets is their defense which is one of the worst in the league. While they have been much better lately, they're still a very undersized team and their interior defense can't stop anyone from getting to the rim. I expect both Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert to have big games tonight.
While the Hornets do need this win, the Jazz have lost two in a row, the last one by almost 30 points. I expect a big bounce-back performance from this veteran team with title aspirations. The Jazz offensive efficiency combined with the Hornets' poor defense leads me to believe that the final score will be 115-108 for Utah.
NBA Pick: Jazz -3.5 (-114) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
