The Utah Jazz welcome the Houston Rockets to Vivint Smart Home Arena. The game starts at 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 23 and will air on RT and RSW.
The Jazz lost to the Pelicans 100-96 in their last matchup. Derrick Favors was the game’s leading scorer, putting up 29 points. The Rockets, meanwhile, are coming off a 116-103 loss against the Trail Blazers in their last outing. James Harden played well, accounting for his 14th double-double of the season with 34 points and 11 assists.
Rudy Gobert has been playing at a high level recently for the Jazz, averaging 13.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.2 blocks over the last five games.
Utah could own the offensive glass in this matchup, as they rank fourth in the NBA in offensive rebound percentage at 26.3%. Conversely, the Rockets are 29th in the league on the defensive backboards with a defensive rebound percentage of 72.7%. Also, the offense of the Rockets seems ready to earn plenty of trips to the line. They rank first in the NBA in free throw attempt rate (35.6), while the Jazz are among the league’s most foul-happy teams (allowing a 26th-ranked mark of 30.6).
The Rockets have emerged victorious in both matchups against the Jazz this year, including a 103-94 victory in their last matchup. Harden scored a game-high 33 points.
The Jazz are hoping to improve on their records of 27-28 Straight Up (SU) and 28-26-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 27-28 SU and 28-26-1 ATS against teams from the Western Conference. Utah has averaged 107.5 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 98.1. Utah has left their fans wanting more on the defensive side recently. The Jazz have given up an average of 112.2 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 96.8 PPG.
On the other side, the Rockets have a record of 23-32-1 ATS and 28-28 SU. In Western Conference games, Houston has gone 28-28 SU and 23-32-1 ATS. The last 10 games have really brought the best of the Rockets on the defensive end. They’ve allowed 96.7 points per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 106.7. The Rockets are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an NBA-best 9.9 steals per game. Houston makes opponents pay for turning the ball over, ranking fourth in points off turnovers with an average of 18.3 per game.
In their previous meeting this season, Houston beat Utah, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 8-2. The Rockets also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou
Notes
Houston averages 105.2 points per game (ranked fifth). However, Utah has allowed an average of just 96.8 points per game (ranked fourth).
Houston scores 105.8 points per away game, ranking fourth in the league. Utah allows just 93.4 points per home game (ranked second).
Houston has a stellar 11-3 record when it gives up under 100 points this season. Utah is 14-19 when it puts up under 100.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Rockets are just 16-25 this season. Utah is a solid 12-7 when registering triple digits.
The Jazz have a defensive rating of 103.2 (ranked 14th), while the Rockets rank eighth for their offensive rating of 104.9.
Houston has an average field goal percentage of 44.3%. Utah is an abysmal 5-22 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Utah is 18th and 14th in the league for FG% and EFF% respectively, while Houston is 20th and seventh in these categories.
On average, the Houston Rockets make 21.6 assists per game and the Utah Jazz make 18.4. Houston is ranked 17th, while Utah is ranked 29th.
Utah makes an average of 5.1 blocks per game (ranked 14th), while Houston makes 5.1 blocks per game (ranked 15th).
Utah is ranked eighth in offensive rebounding. Houston ranks 27th in defensive rebounds.
The Houston Rockets earn an average of 9.9 steals per game and are ranked first. The Utah Jazz have a 10-13 record when they allow at least 9 steals.
