The Utah Jazz are finally starting to get noticed by the oddsmakers. FanDuel now has head coach Will Hardy pegged as a 35-1 favorite to win Coach of the Year while also raising Utah’s over/under win total to 36.5 games.
It was less than four weeks ago Vegas had the Jazz winning only 29 games and Hardy as a shot in the dark to win Coach of the Year at 800-1. However, Utah is the hottest team in the NBA, and Vegas has taken note.
The question on Jazz fans’ minds moving forward is how sustainable is the recent surge in Salt Lake City. The Jazz have won their last 13 out of 17 games and play the next four at the Delta Center where they boast a 13-5 record. Utah winning games at over a 75% clip probably isn’t sustainable, but surpassing the oddsmaker’s current projections certainly is.
A lot of Utah’s sluggish start to the season had a lot to do with injuries. Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson have missed 10 games each, while Walker Kessler was absent for eight during the first 30 games of the season.
The Jazz are 2-6 when they’re missing Kessler and 5-5 without Markkanen. Interestingly, Utah is 6-4 when Clarkson misses games. However, since Clarkson reverted back to his sixth-man role, the Jazz have gone 9-2.
Being a healthy squad has certainly helped matters, but having roles more clearly defined has contributed to Utah playing as a more cohesive unit. With Clarkson coming off the bench and Collin Sexton and Kris Dunn starting, Hardy has finally gotten clarity on how to distribute the minutes in the backcourt.
