Pelicans vs. Jazz odds, line, spread: 2021 NBA picks, Jan. 21 predictions from model on 68-39 roll || currentalks

The Utah Jazz aim to extend a six-game winning streak on Thursday evening. Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz welcome Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans to Salt Lake City at 10 p.m. ET for the second time in 48 hours, with Utah winning the first matchup at home. New Orleans aims to right the ship after six losses in the last seven games, and the Pelicans are 3-5 on the road this season. Utah is 10-4 overall and 3-2 in its home building so far in 2020-21. The latest Pelicans vs. Jazz odds from William Hill Sportsbook list Utah as a seven-point favorite, up half a point from the opening line. The over-under for total points is set at 217.5. Before finalizing any Jazz vs. Pelicans picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model. The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it returned over $5,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks last season. The model is up nearly $8,100 over the past two-plus seasons. Dating back to last season, it is also on a stunning 68-39 roll on top-rated picks against the spread, returning almost $2,500 on those selections alone. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns. Why the Pelicans can cover New Orleans excels on the boards, and that is a substantial advantage in this matchup. The Pelicans are the No. 1 defensive rebounding team in the NBA this season, pulling down 77.3 percent of available rebounds when the opposition misses. On the offensive side, New Orleans also swarms the glass, grabbing 29.9 percent of its own missed shots to rank second in the NBA. Beyond the rebounding, the Pelicans do a very strong job in the possession battle by winning the free throw game. New Orleans ranks in the top six in both offensive free throw rate and defensive free throw rate, which aids in boosting efficiency. The Pelicans can also protect the paint at a high level, allowing only 40.6 points per game in the lane, and the Jazz turn the ball over on 15.7 percent of possessions, a figure that ranks near the bottom of the NBA in ball security. Why the Jazz can cover Utah can take solace in how its offense dismantled New Orleans in the first matchup this week. The Jazz shot 51 percent from the field and a blistering 21-of-47 from 3-point range in the game, generating 28 assists and scoring more than 1.2 points per possession against New Orleans. That also aligns with some season-long weaknesses for the Pelicans, with New Orleans entering the rematch as a bottom-10 defensive team in the NBA. The Pelicans are yielding 1.11 points per possession for the season and, on the offensive side, New Orleans also has some issues. The visitors have a bottom-five assist rate of 55.7 percent this season, and the Pelicans are near the bottom of the NBA in turnover rate at 15.7 percent. Given that the Pelicans managed to protect the ball at a level beyond their normal means on Tuesday and still suffered a lopsided defeat, there is reason to believe in Utah's ability to repeat their overall effort. How to make Jazz vs. Pelicans picks SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, with the teams projected to combine for 220 points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can get that pick at SportsLine. So who wins Jazz vs. Pelicans? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Jazz vs. Pelicans spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks.

NASSCOM says Budget 2021 should ensure ESOPs are taxed only when shares are sold || currentalks

When India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced tax relaxations for Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) during Budget 2020, India’s entrepreneurs welcomed the decision. But one year down the line, they are having second thoughts. “The Finance Minister had relaxed the conditions with respect to the Employee Stock Ownership Plans but that’s not sufficient based on the industry feedback. What the industry really requires is that the liability of paying the tax should be deferred to the time when the shares are actually sold by the employees,” Ashish Aggarwal, Nasscom’s Public Policy head shared the suggestions the IT body has sent to the government. “Most startups, irrespective of the sector they operate in, typically take more than five years to list themselves in the stock exchange and become a listed company or carry out an exit or sell-out. Second, it does not apply to an employee who is exiting a company as an employee. So, a person who has already spent several years in a company and wishes to move on, his ESOPs earned during employment will not be eligible for deferment of taxes. In crux, I would urge the government to review these preconditions to support the startup industry at large,” said Ankit Prasad, Founder and CEO, Bobble AI. In the past year, multiple startups have been buying back shares from their employees as a way of rewarding them. However, Archit Gupta, founder and CEO of ClearTax believes that just deferment of tax isn’t enough, instead some exemption of tax on sale of ESOPs should be brought in. “It can become an effective means to attract and retain talent,” Gupta told Business Insider. But a crucial question still remains – who can avail this benefit? Aggarwal said the benefit should be extended to all startups and not just eligible startups. “DPIIT on its platform has over 40,000 startups but out of that only 400 are eligible startups, who have got an approval of certification for tax benefits,” he said.

Conor McGregor: 'The war is not over' with Khabib Nurmagomedov || currentalks

Conor McGregor still has a Khabib Nurmagomedov rematch on his mind, though he acknowledges that the chances of it happening have greatly diminished. The former UFC double champion said Thursday at the UFC 257 news conference that he considers there to be a great deal of unfinished business between himself and Nurmagomedov. But if Nurmagomedov wants to retire, McGregor said he'll have no choice but to move forward. Nurmagomedov's father and head coach, Abdulmanap, died last summer due to complications from COVID-19. Nurmagomedov, the current UFC lightweight champion, announced his retirement following a title defense over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October. He has mostly stuck to the position that he has retired in interviews since then, though he has left a small window open for a return. "It's a tough business," McGregor said. "Things have gone on in his personal life. I don't wish him any harm. Like I said, it was in 2018. A lot of time has passed. The world knows this fight is not over. This war is not over. The sport needs it to happen; the people need it to happen. I'm not gonna chase it if he doesn't want it. And that's it. I'll keep my calm and move on. And that's what I'm doing. I'm back here in the 155-pound division. I'll show the world what's what over time." Nurmagomedov beat McGregor via fourth-round submission at UFC 229 in October 2018. The lead-up to that fight was ugly, with McGregor getting arrested for throwing a dolly through a bus window in search of Nurmagomedov, who slapped McGregor teammate Artem Lobov days earlier. After Nurmagomedov's win over McGregor, he climbed out of the Octagon and ignited a brawl with McGregor's team. Inside the cage, McGregor was attacked by Nurmagomedov training partners. There were multiple suspensions handed down by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

McGregor and Nurmagomedov are in the same hotel this week in Abu Dhabi. McGregor fights Dustin Poirier in the UFC 257 main event Saturday. Nurmagomedov is in town to work the corner of his cousin Umar, who won Wednesday on the UFC Fight Night card. The two have not encountered each other, and UFC security is aware of the threat. "What I will say is, as long as we fight again, there'll be no issue," McGregor said. "That's it. If he continues to run, I'm not sure. We'll see what happens." Nurmagomedov remains the UFC lightweight champion, but McGregor does not think that will last much longer. "I would make the case, if that man is continuing to dodge this and dodge the commitment of competing again, the title should be stripped and [Poirier and I] should be engaging in a title fight," McGregor said. "But I'm sure it will happen after this bout. I'm interested to hear the excuses or what will be said after the fight. But I predict a title strip."

Zidane under fire as Real Madrid loses again

MADRID (AP) — After watching his team collapse late in extra time against third-division club Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey, Zinedine Zidane turned his back on the field and smiled in disbelief. Real Madrid conceded late against its 10-man opponent on Wednesday to squander yet another trophy chance this season. The embarrassing 2-1 loss in the round of 32 added to Madrid’s recent struggles and left Zidane under increased pressure. Critics had already been after Zidane after Madrid’s loss to Athletic Bilbao in the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup a week ago, which followed a scoreless draw for the defending champions against relegation-threatened Osasuna in the Spanish league. Madrid has won only one of its last five matches in all competitions with lackluster performances recently by players such as Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard. The team has looked overwhelmed and unresponsive, with Zidane unable to avoid questions about his job security. “People always talk about that when we lose,” Zidane said. “I take the responsibility for the loss and whatever happens, happens. I’m not worried. The players have always tried to win and sometimes it works out differently. Every defeat is painful. Neither I nor my players like to lose. Let’s see what happens in the coming days.” Zidane said he doesn’t feel like he has lost control over his players in the locker room. “I believe my players have faith in me, but you’ll have to ask them,” he said. “We haven’t done many good things recently, but we’ve also done some good things this season. But we are still very much in the race for the league and the Champions League. We have to stay focused because we can still win things.” Madrid beat Celta Vigo 2-0 to start the year but was coming off a draw against struggling Elche in its last league game of 2020. Madrid trails Atlético Madrid by four points and has played two more games than its rival. In the Champions League, Madrid will face Atalanta in the round of 16. The 48-year-old Zidane is in his second stint as Madrid’s coach. The former French great led the club to three straight Champions League titles from 2016-18 before taking a year off and returning in 2019. He has never succeeded in the Copa del Rey, though, seeing his team eliminated by teams such as Celta Vigo, Leganés and Real Sociedad. “It’s a difficult moment,” he said. “We are out of the Copa again. We should have done things differently but we couldn’t do it.” Madrid’s next match is at relegation-threatened Alavés in the Spanish league on Saturday.

Toil-International: Empowering Tech Solutions under the Visionary Leadership of 19-Year-Old CEO

Toil-International, a remarkable software development company, stands as a testament to the power of passion and determination under the visionary leadership of its 19-year-old CEO and Founder, Mr. Sourav Bera. Inspired by the iconic character Iron Man, Sourav's fascination with technology ignited at a young age, and he embarked on a journey to make a difference in the world of software development.

Toil-International

With unwavering commitment, Toil-International was born as a bootstrap venture, with Sourav single-handedly building the company from the ground up due to a lack of external investment. Armed with skills honed since his early days of learning software development in 9th grade, Sourav took charge of website creation, application development, CRMs, automation software, branding, and social media presence. His tenacity and expertise laid a strong foundation for the company's success.

Setting itself apart in the competitive tech industry, Toil-International offers a comprehensive range of tech services, keeping abreast of emerging technologies to ensure cutting-edge solutions for its diverse clientele. From web and mobile applications to AI, data analytics, and cybersecurity, the company caters to the ever-evolving needs of businesses across various domains.

Beyond its business pursuits, Toil-International remains deeply committed to social responsibility. In a bid to promote digital literacy among underprivileged communities, the company initiated a philanthropic endeavor through an Instagram handle named "__toil__." This platform provides free access to valuable tech, finance, and business knowledge, empowering individuals with the skills to thrive in the digital age.

CEO &  Founder Of Toil- International: SOURAV BERA

Guided by Sourav's remarkable leadership, Toil-International fosters a culture of innovation and continuous learning. His ability to lead by example and encourage creative thinking has nurtured a close-knit team, dedicated to delivering excellence to clients.

Toil-International's journey is a modern-day tech fairy tale, where a young entrepreneur's passion for technology and superhero inspiration translated into a thriving software development enterprise. With a wide array of tech solutions and a heart for making a positive impact, Toil-International continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the tech world. As they embrace the future with determination, the company and its exceptional CEO, Sourav Bera, are destined for even greater heights in the software development landscape.