Better team this season= Utah Jazz or Sacramento Kings?

[sdballer]

I'm a bit shocked the Kings have votes here, though I'm biased.

The most unbiased source I can think of, Vegas, has the Jazz at 40.5 wins this year and has the Kings at 30.5 wins (at least at one Sportsbook as of late September of this year...I imagine they are all within a win of each other). That's a significant difference there.

That's not actually Vegas's job though. They just want to play off what they think the public chooses.

Yeah not sure some people understand the distinction. Their job is to make money so they are trying to predict betting more so than reality.

[jazzfan1971]

I'm gonna be one sad panda if the Jazz are one win WORSE next year.

[Winsome Gerbil]

I'm gonna be one sad panda if the Jazz are one win WORSE next year.

You're young, probably have to be one of the least experienced teams to ever try to make the playoffs, and you lost your PG to international play. In the Western Conference stuff sometimes happens to even good teams.

[stitches]

For what is worth I think King's betting line(over) is one of the best bets you can make this year in the league.

[bondom34]

For what is worth I think King's betting line is one of the best bets you can make this year in the league.

Yep, I think them and Charlotte (though not as sure on them after MKG's injury) were the 2 best bets.

[jazzfan1971]

I'd always prefer to take the under on a team.

[stitches]

BTW I think Jazz betting line(over) is pretty good bet too...
Unless something seriously goes wrong(season-ending injury to one or more of our key pieces and especially Hayward) I can't see this team winning less than what we won last year.

[bondom34]

I'd always prefer to take the under on a team.

This seems very confusing to me. I mean I get it if its a good bet, but blindly choosing one seems odd.

[Xsy]

I'm gonna be one sad panda if the Jazz are one win WORSE next year.

You're young, probably have to be one of the least experienced teams to ever try to make the playoffs, and you lost your PG to international play. In the Western Conference stuff sometimes happens to even good teams.

If the Jazz are one game worse this year, I'd be genuinely shocked. So much more than Dante being out would have to happen for the Jazz to be one game worse.

[stitches]

Choosing under with big franchises is usually a good thing, because there are a lot of fans(not professional gamblers) that will bet the over out of fandom(disproportionately more than for small-market teams), thus the people who set the line would set them higher(than expected performance) in order to equalize the number of bets they get on each side of the line(that's the actual goal of line-setters - to get about equal number of bets on each side and to get a lot of them).

[KingFox]

Im not ready to say, honestly. These Kings are still getting to know each other on the floor, so i wouldn't expect too much right away. But i will say that Rondo is a whole lot better than people are assuming lol

[KingFox]

I think Gobert is a top tier defensive player already but the addition fo WCS by kings is huge imo. Kings will have a better record by a little bit is my best guess

IMO picking WCS was a big mistake. How they passed on Mudiay there is beyond me. What a gift to Denver. WCS doesn't fit well with Cousins.

Lol huh? he fits perfectly with Cousins. Cuz isn't much of a shot blocker and WCS helps with that perfectly. He's been a beast on that end and can really run the floor. Plus he won't be clogging the lane up or demanding the ball down low. The Kings didn't need another PG

[jazzfan1971]

Well take 2 scenarios

YOu think a team is going to win more than the line
YOu think a team is going to win less than the line

Lets assume that your analysis of those two scenarios are equal. Those two situations would be about equal. However, you can't take into account injuries. IF the team you think is going to do better gets hammered with injuries you will lose your money. If the team you think is going to win less gets hammered you are still going to get paid.

Trades are another unknown going into a bet like that, but, I find them much less impactful than injuries.

So, were I a betting man, I'd look for the team I think is being overvalued and bet against them over the opposite.

[bondom34]

Looking at it reversed, what if a team is healthy and other teams get injured? Its just as likely for any team really.

[jazzfan1971]

Not by my mind, no.

[bondom34]

So its more likely for the team you're betting on to be injured than any other team? Seems odd. Also seems odd that you'd bet on either if you weren't confident.

[SK21209]

I think the Jazz have the higher floor, but the Kings a higher ceiling. If WCS and Cousins can play effectively together which I think they will, I got the Kings

[rpa]

I agree with what a lot of people here have said about the Kings having a higher ceiling, but the Jazz having a higher floor.

I'd also like to mention that the Jazz won "only" 9 more games despite having no major injuries last year (82 games from Gobert, 74 from Favors, 76 from Hayward, 82 from Exum). The Kings, on the other hand, had a ton of injuries (all of Cousins, Collison, and Gay played in fewer games than any of the aforementioned Jazz players) and had 3 coaches during the year.

[mvpshaq32]

Kings by far. Better star players, deeper bench, veteran experience.

Jazz do not have enough offensive firepower and were a bottom 5 scoring team last season and I expect it to be similar this season. Big Hayward fan, but he needs a lot more help around him, especially creating shots. Trey Burke will have to step up immensely if Jazz want that 8th spot.

That has more to do with the snail pace they play at.

And Burks being gone and Hood being a rookie. If those two come to play then this Jazz team will start shocking a lot of people.

Also Snyder is addressing the lack of a legit PG with Exum being down for the season. They brought over Neto who has great vision and D and good passing. Kid cannot hit the ocean however. Also the Jazz have ball handlers in Hayward, Hood and Burks. This season they are starting to have multiple players bring the ball (whoever gets it first) up the court and initiate the offense. This is increasing their pace and making Burke an off ball player which is something he is decent at.

Start watching for 3 wing sets from Utah instead of a PG on the floor. Burks is an elite at slashing and getting to the FT line. He is also fast enough to stay in front of most PGs.

Jazz are battling with the Pelicans for the 7th seed imo.

Kings (their own fault), Mavs and Suns are a step behind.

way I see it is a lot of things have to go right for the Jazz to make the playoffs. Didn't know about Neto, but as far as Burke goes, he can't be shooting <40% anymore. Can Hood reproduce the same numbers he did in the last month of the 2015 season for this whole season? How will Burks perform recovering from surgery?

Meanwhile Kings can nab 25-30 games easy with the guys on their roster and if they can develop the chemistry, they can make it over the hump.

Pels have the 7th locked up imo. The 8th spot is the only thing up for grabs. And we aren't even considering the dark horse Suns or even the Wolves

[codydaze]

the "personalities" on the kings will do them in.

Yes. Watching the Kings the other night, I once again was left with the conviction that the Kings should be allowed to play with five basketballs so they all could get their shots. Other than Rondo, it doesn't look like any of the starters are interested in passing the ball. I thought with Rondo at the point he could control the ball-hogging and gunning by the other starters. I don't see that happening.
The Jazz have less overall talent but are more into a team concept.

Well Rondo had 10 assists last night and nearly a triple double in 24 minutes...

I really think people are blowing the whole chemistry thing way out of proportion by making assumptions. I think the Jazz will be a good team and it will be a pretty close battle for the 8 seed between the two teams. WCS is a great fit to pair with Cousins as well. A quick, long big that guard 5 positions and is an excellent shot blocker. Pretty much what us Kings fans have been asking for the past 5 years. A stretch 4 would be a luxury to have next to Cousins but he can spread the floor enough, himself, that it's not a big deal.