76ers vs. Jazz Prediction, Picks for Thursday, Feb. 1
Here's everything you need to know about 76ers vs. Jazz on Thursday, Feb. 1 — our expert prediction and betting picks for today.
The 76ers will look forward to returning home as they wrap up a five-game road trip in Salt Lake City against the Jazz. During this trip, Philadelphia lost two key players as Joel Embiid suffered a knee injury while Tyrese Maxey sprained his left ankle.
A third starter, De'Anthony Melton, has already been out for almost three weeks with a stress fracture in his back.
The good news for the 76ers is Maxey could return to the court tonight against the Jazz. The bad news is the 76ers will still be down at least two starters as they try to snap a four-game losing streak.
Maxey will be a game-time decision, so you'll want to monitor any updates to the 76ers' injury report.
However, there's one angle that bettors can pursue in this game that should be completely independent of Maxey's status.
Let's get to our 76ers vs. Jazz prediction and pick.
76ers vs. Jazz Prediction
Pick: Jazz Team Total Over 119.5 Points (-110)
76ers Need Fluid Ball Movement
Some teams can withstand losing multiple starters, but the Philadelphia 76ers aren't one of them. Per NBA.com, the 76ers have the lowest bench production in the league as they are averaging just 27.4 bench points per game. Consequently, the 76ers become weaker on both fronts when forced to elevate some of their bench players into the starting lineup.
If they can get Maxey back, it'll undoubtedly be a boost. After all, he's second on the team in scoring (averaging 25.7 points) while being their assists leader with 6.6 per game. It's certainly noteworthy that Embiid ranks second on the team in assists, averaging 5.7, while Melton is third (3.2 per game). Tobias Harris (3.1) is the only other player on the 76ers who averages at least three assists per game.
Overall, the 76ers average 24.9 assists, ranking 26th in the league. For a team missing key pieces, fluid ball movement is critical to getting easier shots for some of those bench players thrust into the starting rotation.
If you look at the 76ers' assist tally during this four-game losing streak, they're at the bottom of the league with an average of 19.3 per game. In the three games Maxey didn't play in, Philadelphia's assists drop to 17.7 per game.
Thus, the 76ers desperately need to get Maxey back in the lineup because they lack legitimate options on their bench to run the offense.
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Jazz Are Different at Home
After mounting a 12-2 run to improve to two games above .500, Utah has fallen back down to earth with just two wins in its last seven games. Like Philadelphia, Utah's struggles occurred on a road trip that included lopsided losses to the Pelicans (153-124), Nets (147-114) and Knicks (118-103).
Thursday's meeting against Philadelphia will be Utah's first home game after playing its last six contests on the road.
When speaking to reporters after losing to the Knicks, Jazz head coach Will Hardy welcomed the opportunity for his team to hit the reset by returning home to Utah. "I'm excited that we get to get home and have a practice," Hardy said. "Just get back to work and do some of the things that are hard to do when you're on a long road trip."
Hardy does have a reason to be optimistic. Utah is 15-6 at home compared to 9-19 on the highway. More specifically, according to NBA.com, Utah enjoys a +7.1 Net Rating at home compared to -10.1 on the road.
The home/away splits are pretty stark, given Utah's performance on both ends of the floor.
Utah's Offensive Rating is eight points better at home (119.8) than on the road (111.8). Their Defensive Rating also improves from 121.9 on the road to 112.7 at the Delta Center. This disparity is too conspicuous to ignore, as Utah clearly plays with a different kind of edge at home.
76ers vs. Jazz Picks, Odds
| 76ers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+6 -110 | 235.5 -110/-110 | +180 |
| Jazz Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-6 -110 | 235.5 -110/-110 | -218 |
While it's possible Utah's players are simply more comfortable at home, I also think there's a certain mentality the team taps into in this spot. It's almost like Utah wants to make the game as insufferable as possible for the visitors.
After all, the altitude in Salt Lake City is around 4,265 feet, which is higher than most major cities in the country, except for Denver and Albuquerque.
There's no question that the Jazz's offensive numbers are more impressive at home, but they play an almost unforgiving style by setting a breakneck tempo in their games. Per TeamRankings, Utah averages three more possessions at home (106.3) than on the road (103.3). This fast tempo works to Utah's advantage in tiring the opposition that's likely not accustomed to the high altitude.
With the Jazz returning to their haven at home, they'll imprint their preferred style of play all over this game. Utah's team total is 30-19 to the over this season, but it improves to 17-4 at home.
DraftKings has a Jazz team total of 119.5 (-110), and it's worth noting that Utah has covered this number in its last three home games against the 76ers.
