The Utah Jazz invade the Toyota Center to take on the Houston Rockets on Friday night. Here’s a Rockets vs. Jazz Prediction. This article will include a Rockets vs. Jazz Pick.
Utah Jazz Betting Preview
The Utah Jazz have been ice-cold as they’ve dropped 11 of their last 12 games overall and they will be hoping to put a halt to a seven-game slide after getting routed by the Nuggets in a 130-117 loss on Wednesday. Brice Sensabaugh led the team with 28 points, six rebounds and four assists; Kyle Filipowski added 25 points with 12 rebounds on nine of 15 shooting, while Kennedy Chandler chipped in with 16 points and six assists off the bench. As a team, the Jazz shot 46 percent from the field and 12 of 37 from the 3-point line as they struggled to keep pace with the Nuggets from the very start and leaked 39 points in the first quarter to trail by 18 points early on, which was a shame because they went on a run to cut the deficit to just four points before they went cold again in the fourth quarter.
Houston Rockets Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets have been in great shape as they’ve won six of their last eight games overall and they will be gunning for a fifth straight victory after sneaking past the Bucks in a 119-113 home win on Wednesday. Reed Sheppard led the team with 27 points and six assists on nine of 15 shooting; Alperen Sengun added 25 points with nine rebounds and four assists; Kevin Durant tallied 19 points with nine assists, while Amen Thompson chipped in with 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists. As a team, the Rockets shot 47 percent from the field and 18 of 42 from the 3-point line but this win was set up by their defense as they held the Bucks to just 44 points in the first half to open up a 20-point lead, which proved to be crucial as their lead got cut to just four points with 2:02 left in the fourth quarter before they escaped with the narrow win.
Why the Houston Rockets will win
- The Jazz have lost each of their last 14 road games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Rockets have won 18 of their last 19 home games against Western Conference opponents that held a losing record.
- The Jazz have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six night games against Southwest Division opponents.
- The home team has covered the spread in eight of the last nine games between the Jazz and Rockets.
Why the Utah Jazz will win
- The Rockets have lost four of their last five games as favorites against Northwest Division opponents following a win.
- The Jazz have won three of their last four games against the Rockets following a home loss.
- The Jazz have covered the spread in each of their last seven games against the Rockets following a home loss.
- The Rockets have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six games following a home win.
Total Points: Facts
- Each of the last six night games between the Jazz and Rockets has gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Jazz’s last five games at Toyota Center has gone OVER the total points line.
Houston Rockets Player Facts
- Alperen Sengun ranks 2nd in the league for points in the paint (936) this season.
- Amen Thompson ranks 1st amongst qualified Guards for rebounds per game (7.8) this season.
Utah Jazz Player Facts
- Brice Sensabaugh is the only player to have scored 40+ points off the bench in a game this season.
- Kyle Filipowski ranks 12th in the Western Conference amongst qualified players for rebounds per game (7.1) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Rockets rank 1st in the league for rebounds per game this season (48.0).
- The Rockets rank 1st in the league for offensive rebounds per game this season (15.0).
- The Jazz rank 30th in the league for opponent points per game this season (125.4).
- The Jazz rank 30th in the league for opponent assists per game this season (30.6).
Rockets vs Jazz Prediction
The Jazz have ruled out Lauri Markkanen, Jusuf Nurkic, Isaiah Collier, Keyonte George and Jaren Jackson Jr., while the Rockets are still missing Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams. The Jazz have been an absolute mess lately; they are severely depleted and I doubt they will be able to keep pace with the Rockets, who are really heating up again. The line was always going to be hefty for this matchup, but it’s still not enough to sway me from taking the Rockets to get the comfortable win and cover at home in this spot.