by Chuck Sommers
Monday, Nov 08, 2021
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Venue: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Where to watch: AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain, Bally Sports Southeast-Atlanta
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: NL
BetMGM: Jazz -7.5; O/U 221.5; Jazz -303, Hawks +240
Caesars: Jazz -7.5; O/U 221.5
Season record (entering Monday)
Hawks: 4-6
Jazz: 7-3
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Hawks - Jazz preview and analysis
Recent form (entering Monday)
Hawks: lost three straight; lost 121-117 at Suns on Saturday
Jazz: lost two straight; lost 107-100 at Magic on Sunday
These are certainly two teams you would not expect to struggle the way they have the last few games.
But one of the Atlanta Hawks or Utah Jazz are going to get the opportunity to get back on track when the two teams meet in Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
Entering Monday, the Hawks are on a three-game losing streak. It could very well reach four if Atlanta loses to the Golden State Warriors on Monday. At the time of publishing, the game has yet to begin in Chase Center.
But the Hawks have hit a snag during their three-game losing streak, losing to the Phoenix Suns in Arizona on Saturday, a 121-117 loss. The game before that, the Hawks got an early look at the Jazz at home, losing by 18 points.
Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson had his 2021-22 awakening with 30 points off the bench, while Bogdan Bogdanovich had 23 points for a Utah squad that did not have Donovan Mitchell due to a sprained ankle.
"Everybody just coming up to me and saying, ‘J.C., keep shooting, keep shooting. It's gonna happen,'" Clarkson said. "That's why I love this team. I love my teammates, I love the coaching staff, I love this organization. They believe in me and believe in what I can do. It's beautiful."
The Hawks got what they could from their starters last Thursday. Trae Young had a team-high 21 points but got there on 8 of 20 shooting, as the Hawks made only 7 of 28 3-point attempts at State Farm Arena.
"We need a spark," Hawks coach Nate McMillan said after his team gave up 77 second-half points to Utah. "We need some guys that will go out there and defend."
That defense did not carry to Phoenix in the four-point loss over the weekend. Despite Young going for 31 points and John Collins putting a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds out there, the Suns shot 51 percent from the floor led by Devin Booker’s game-high 38 points.
"I don't know if it was what we did or what they did," Young said Saturday. "They kind of picked up the energy and used the home crowd for momentum and kind of road the wave. They made a couple of more plays than we did."
But it’s not all roses for the Jazz, either. Following that win against Atlanta, the Jazz lost by three two nights later to the powerhouse Miami Heat, and then lost by seven to the young Orlando Magic on the second night of a back-to-back.
It was the Cole Anthony show for Orlando scoring 33 points with 10 in the fourth quarter with the Magic outsourcing Utah 32-15 in the fourth quarter. Mitchell returned to score 21 points on 8 of 24 shooting, and Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 15 rebounds to go with four blocks.
"If there's a narrative out there that we're taking bad shots, I wouldn't agree with that," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said following two losses after a three-game winning streak. "The catch-and-shoot shots, that's what we're missing. That's where we've been at our best and you hope over time those things correct themselves."
Barring anything coming out of this matchup, it should be a full bill of health outside of Rudy Gay not being availble for Utah.
Prediction
Normally I’d give the Hawks an edge here with revenge on the mind, but that back-to-back coming from Golden State is not going to be a fun adventure, especially with that elevation. The Jazz likely want to respond after their offense went down the drain in Orlando. Jazz by 13
Betting trends
The Hawks are 0-6 ATS on the road.
As a road dog between 6.5 and 12 points, the hawks are 7-20 in the last three seasons.
The Jazz are 41-32 ATS at home over the past three seasons and 59-17 straight up.
Projected starting lineup
Hawks:
PG: Trae Young
SG: Bogdan Bogdanovic
SF: De’Andre Hunter
PF: John Collins
C: Clint Capela
SF: De’Andre Hunter
PF: John Collins
C: Clint Capela
Jazz:
PG: Mike Conley
SG: Donovan Mitchell
SF: Bojan Bogdanovic
PF: Royce O’Neale
C: Rudy Gobert
SF: Bojan Bogdanovic
PF: Royce O’Neale
C: Rudy Gobert
Key injuries
Hawks: None
Jazz: SF Rudy Gay (heel, out)
Statistical leaders
Hawks:
Points: Trae Young -- 23.3
Rebounds: Clint Capela -- 11.4
Assists: Trae Young -- 9.6
Jazz:
Points: Donovan Mitchell -- 25.8
Rebounds: Rudy Gobert -- 16.1
Assists: Donovan Mitchell -- 5.3
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
