The Houston Rockets (18-4) travel to Utah to take on the Jazz (13-12) in a matchup that pits phenomenal offense against exceptional defense. The game starts at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 7, 2017, and will air on TNT.
Houston opened as a 5.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 208 points.
Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz Betting Prediction
The last time the Rockets played, they dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers, 118-95. Houston’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest advantage over Los Angeles. The Rockets had a rate of 0.578 (above their season average of 0.560), while the Lakers posted a mark of 0.435 (below their season average of 0.505). With 36 points on 13-for-22 shooting, James Harden was the top scorer from either team.
The Jazz lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in their last outing, 100-94. Oklahoma City’s 31.6 offensive rebounding percentage was their largest advantage over Utah, who had a mark of 20.9. The Thunder’s mark was above their season average of 25.9. With 31 points on 11-for-22 shooting, Donovan Mitchell led Utah in scoring.
Second-chance points might be hard to find for Utah in this contest. The Jazz rank 22nd in offensive rebounding percentage (20.5 percent), while Houston ranks first in defensive rebounding percentage (81.4 percent). Furthermore, the second-ranked offense of the Rockets (offensive efficiency of 112.9) will square off against the fifth-ranked defense of the Jazz (defensive efficiency of 101.4).
Houston comes into the game with records of 18-4 straight up (SU) and 13-9 against the spread (ATS). Of the Rockets’ 22 games, 13 have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, Utah is 13-12 SU and 15-10 ATS. Coinciding with Houston, just over half of Jazz games have finished under the total.
Mitchell and Alec Burks have played at a high level over the last five games for Utah. Mitchell has averaged 25.2 points and 3.6 assists per game. Not to be outdone, Burks has put up 20.4 points and 1.6 steals a game during that span.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Harden scored a game-high 56 points and the Rockets defeated the Jazz 137-110, covering as 6-point favorites. He also had 13 assists. The game finished with a total of 247 points, which was 42 points above the projected point total of 205 points. Houston’s effective field goal percentage was its biggest advantage over Utah. The Rockets had a rate of 0.735 while the Jazz posted a mark of 0.506.
Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz ATS Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Rockets, ATS Winner – Jazz, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Houston is 8-3 ATS with 7 unders and 4 overs.
At home, Utah is 11-4 ATS with 9 unders and 6 overs.
In games where they allow below 100 points, Houston is 9-1 and Utah is 8-2.
The Jazz are 11-4 when they reach 100 points, while the Rockets are 18-2.
Utah ranks second in points off turnovers per game (19.9) while Houston ranks 25th in points off turnovers allowed per game (19.4).
The Jazz rank fourth in points allowed in the paint per game (40.1) while the Rockets rank 23rd (46.7).
Houston ranks 12th in fast break points per game (11.6) while Utah ranks 27th (8.4).
The Rockets rank 11th in rebounds per game (44.8) while the Jazz rank 26th (40.5).
Houston averages 9.2 steals per game, which ranks third in the NBA. Utah ranks 15th in steals allowed per game (8.0).
The Jazz rank second in assists allowed per game (18.4) while the Rockets rank 13th (22.4).
Houston ranks first in three pointers attempted per game (44.0) while Utah ranks 10th (30.5).
The Jazz average 5.3 blocks per game, which ranks eighth in the league. The Rockets rank 12th in blocks allowed per game (4.7).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Houston is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Utah is 5-0 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Rockets’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 20.6, up from 11.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Jazz have scored an average of 111.2 points per game (7.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 92.2 points per game (6.6 below their season average).
