The Houston Rockets (24-4) will attempt to continue their 13-game winning streak against the Utah Jazz (14-16) at Toyota Center. The game can be seen on ATTSN Southwest at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, December 18, 2017.
Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets Free Prediction
The Jazz are trying to rebound after their 109-100 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their last matchup. Making free throws was one of Cleveland’s biggest strengths. They were 15-17 (88.2 percent), while the Jazz were just 9-14 (64.3 percent). Donovan Mitchell led Utah in scoring with 26 points on 11-for-16 shooting.
In the Rockets’ last game, they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 115-111. Houston made good use of their 42 trips to the charity stripe, converting on 34 of them (81.0 percent). Milwaukee, on the other hand, was 27-33 (81.8 percent). James Harden was the top scorer from either team with 31 points on 8-for-21 shooting.
The aggressive Houston offense could be getting to the charity stripe a lot in this contest. The Rockets currently rank first in the league with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.242, while Utah is among the NBA’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 21st-ranked FTA rate of 0.209). Furthermore, put-back points could be tough to come by for the Jazz. They rank 23rd in the league in offensive rebounding percentage at 20.2 percent, while the Rockets are second-best on the defensive glass (defensive rebounding percentage of 81.3 percent).
Utah heads into the contest with records of 14-16 straight up (SU) and 17-13 against the spread (ATS). Games featuring the Jazz have a slight tendency to go over the projected point total (50.0 percent).
Meanwhile, Houston owns records of 24-4 SU and 15-12-1 ATS. Vegas has been spot on when predicting totals of Rockets games, with an even split between overs and unders.
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Mitchell (23.6 points, 5.0 assists and 2.2 steals) has been great for the Jazz while Chris Paul (24.6 points, 9.0 assists, 6.4 rebounds and 3.4 steals) has made solid contributions to the Rockets.
The Rockets have won both games against the Jazz this season, including an 11-point victory in their last matchup. Houston covered as a 6-point favorite and the game finished with a total of 213 points, which was just 1.5 points above the projected point total of 211.5 points. The Rockets’ offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest strength over the Jazz. Houston had a rate of 22.2, while Utah posted a mark of 9.5. Paul put up a double-double in the victory with 18 points and 13 assists.
Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets ATS Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Rockets, ATS Winner – Rockets, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Utah is 6-8 ATS with 8 overs, 5 unders and 1 push.
Houston is 6-8-1 ATS at home with 8 overs and 7 unders.
In games where they allow below 100 points, Houston is 10-1 and Utah is 9-2.
When reaching 100 points, the Rockets are 24-2 and the Jazz are 12-8.
Utah ranks fifth in points off turnovers per game (18.9) while Houston ranks 25th in points off turnovers allowed per game (18.6).
The Jazz rank second in fast break points allowed per game (8.4) while the Rockets rank 21st (11.6).
Utah ranks seventh in points allowed in the paint per game (41.4) while Houston ranks 25th (46.5).
The Rockets average 9.5 steals per game, which ranks second in the league. The Jazz rank 17th in steals allowed per game (8.2).
Houston ranks 14th in rebounds per game (43.9) while Utah ranks 26th (40.7).
The Jazz rank third in three pointers allowed per game (25.9) while the Rockets rank 13th (28.5).
Utah ranks second in assists allowed per game (19.2) while Houston ranks 12th (21.9).
The Jazz rank sixth in blocks per game (5.3) while the Rockets rank 12th in blocks allowed per game (4.7).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Utah is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Houston is 1-3-1 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Jazz have been outscored by an average of 5.6 points in their last five games. On the season, Utah has defeated opponents by an average of 2.8 points.
During their last five games, the Rockets have scored an average of 120.2 points per game (5.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 111.2 points per game (7.0 above their season average).
