basketball | Tuesday, November 15, 2022 10:37 AM

Utah Jazz vs New York Knicks Best Bet: Jazz to Add to 11th Win Over Struggling Knicks

Sam Cox

Utah Jazz vs New York Knicks Best Bet: Tuesday, November 15th

The 10-5 Utah Jazz, owners of a perfect home record, play host to the 6-7 New York Knicks on Tuesday night. New York is on a 3-6 run after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a shootout a few days ago, while Utah lost consecutive games on the road in Washington and Philadelphia.

Utah has covered the spread in 10 of 15 games this season, and is favoured by 3.5 points for this game. It is worth noting that they are 1-3 ATS as favourites. New York, however, is only 3-4 ATS as an underdog this term, and has a 2-4 record straight up away from Madison Square Garden. Pressure is mounting on Tom Thibodeau as a gruelling Western Conference road trip begins.

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Utah Jazz vs New York Knicks Preview
Utah Jazz vs New York Knicks Best Bet

Utah Jazz vs New York Knicks Preview

Wed, Nov 16. 02:00 (UK time)

This season has started too well for the Jazz. Hopes of the top lottery odds will quickly fade if they keep winning at this pace. Recent losses have brought them down to earth, but this is still a team playing at a very high level with the fifth-best net rating in the NBA. The Lauri Markkanen experience is no fluke, such has been the high level of play produced by the Finn.

Where other franchises are already wrestling health issues, the Jazz have a full roster to choose from. Will Hardy has wasted no time making a strong impression as an NBA head coach, navigating a flawed roster to bring the best out of his core pieces.

On the other side of this matchup, there is a Knicks team which is below average on both sides of the ball with a net rating placing 23rd. All of their last six losses have been by a double-digit deficit. The Jazz’s last four wins have been by four or more points.

There are parts of this matchup which play in the Knicks’ favour, however. Utah is 26th in defensive rebounding rate, and the Knicks are an elite team on the offensive glass, which should help earn some extra possessions to keep pace with Utah’s three-point barrage. New York is also second in the NBA in how often they play halfcourt offence, an area where the Jazz struggle defensively.

Utah Jazz vs New York Knicks Bet Best

The flip side, though, is that the Jazz fire threes up at a well-above average rate. New York has the third-highest three-point frequency conceded. The Knicks have their own issues cleaning up the defensive glass, and Utah is in the top 10 in offensive rebounding.

Even with Rudy Gobert in Minnesota, the Jazz have maintained a solid defensive profile, ranking in the top 10 when it comes to preventing threes and hanging around league-average in rim frequency and efficiency allowed.

The Knicks’ corner threes will be taken away, making them very dependent on their short mid-range game, which is a fundamental of this offence.

Not only with a poor road record against a formidable home team, the Knicks are at a mathematical disadvantage in this game. The Jazz are good value to cover.