Utah at New Orleans

The New Orleans Hornets more than made a good showing on the road vs. a San Antonio team that barely ever loses at home. The Hornets fell by just 4 points, and head home for their opener vs. the Utah Jazz. The Hornets opened the season as one of the worst teams in the league as they were 4-23 through 27 games, but began improving game by game to close at a more respectful 15-22. Lost in the illusion of a horrible record was the fact that New Orleans became a force at protecting their home court where they closed the season 8-0 ATS as a home dog. That included winning six of their last seven as a home dog straight-up. The Jazz opened with a home win where they have always been strong, but the road has been another matter as they finished the season 4-8 straight-up in their last 12 on the road. Play New Orleans on the moneyline.