Dave Malinsky
Top of the Ticket - Total
OVER 209.5,NEW YORK KNICKS -vs-Utah Jazz
4* UTAH/NEW YORK Over
At this point it is simple enough to state that the Jazz ?are who they are?, and no matter how often Jerry Sloan talks about wanting to toughen up, that is not the way that this mix is going to play. Yet the marketplace still is not reconciling that with past reputations, and it is part of why Utah has played 18-9 to the Over on the road since Christmas of LY. We call for more of the same tonight in a loose and free-flowing game in which opportunities will be plenty, and stops will be few. We are starting to get enough games in play for our defensive charts to begin to have some weight attached to them, and in this matchup the Knicks are their expected dismal spot at #24, with the Jazz right behind at #25. Note that these ratings are ?pace neutral?; in other words New York does not rate low because of the way Mike D?Antoni?s team gets up and down the court, but rather it is a reflection of isolating their ability to make stops. They don?t, a combination of little size and strength, bad chemistry, but perhaps even more the fact that they know this is a lame-duck season as the franchise postures for the free-agent boom cycle coming up next summer. There are seven players on the roster that have contracts that expire at the end of the season, so they will absolutely put out and effort on offense, to build stats for their own negotiations ahead, but there is little reason to gohard defensively, since the playoffs are not even a pipe dream. Count on Deron Williams to reach double figures in assists, as he easily breaks this group down to create easy shots. For Utah it is all about athleticism and chemistry. There is not much of it, and the Jazz may be among the worst ?chasers? in the league this season, allowing an unsightly 45.9 percent shooting from 3-point range. That is a particularly bad matchup tonight against a New York offense that spaces the floor well and had a 3-point threat at four of the five positions, and it adds up well for us to not only get the fast pace we are looking for, but also the offensive efficiency levels as well.