Pelicans Hold Off Jazz 120-113 as Utah's Skid Hits Six

The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Utah Jazz 120-113 on Wednesday night at Smoothie King Center, and the story was exactly what the pre-game numbers suggested: New Orleans scored enough to win but couldn't separate. Utah's losing streak reached six games.

Zion Williamson continued his bounce-back season as the Pelicans' interior anchor, and New Orleans' high-powered offense did its job. But a team scoring 121.9 points per game while allowing 120.1 was always going to keep an opponent hanging around, and that's what happened. The Jazz, 1-6 and losers of five straight coming in, stayed within striking distance to the final minutes.

How our premium pick did

• Moneyline: New Orleans (-205) — HIT. The Pelicans won by seven, and the favorite did what the market paid it to do.
• Spread: New Orleans -5.5 — HIT. The Pelicans won by seven, clearing the number. It wasn't a comfortable cover, though, and the way this game played out is a reminder that a 5.5-point number against a 1-6 team is thinner than it looks when the favorite's defense allows 120 a night.
• Total: Over — the game finished at 233 combined points. New Orleans' pace and defensive generosity kept the scoring flowing, consistent with the pre-game read that this would be a high-possession game.

The takeaway: New Orleans is a team that can win games but not margin. Backing the Pelicans on the moneyline is defensible, and the spread cashed here, but laying points with them stays a thinner bet than their record suggests until the defense shows a floor. Utah, meanwhile, remains a fade candidate on the moneyline but a live underdog against the number.