Houston Rockets Dwight Howard

Should Bettors Be Wary of the Rockets?

With the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets set to do battle at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Tuesday, a pair of contrasting betting trends are at play. The Jazz, who opened as 5-point chalk at most books, are 6-2 ATS in their last eight when favored by five points or more. The Rockets are much poorer when in this spot, as James Harden and company are a measly 1-4 ATS in their previous five when tabbed as underdogs of five or more.

Shark Bites
  • The Rockets are 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine games against the Western Northwest Division.
  • The total has gone OVER in five of the Jazz's last six after losing the previous game in a matchup.
  • The Rockets are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against the Jazz.

The Rockets (28-28 SU) have been one of the biggest disappointments in the Association this season and are far from a cohesive unit at this point. Houston interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff went as far as calling the Rockets a “broken team” just a few weeks ago, and in the wake of yesterday’s trade failure fiasco, they shouldn’t inspire much confidence in their bettors.

Houston tried to ship Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton to Detroit at the trade deadline last week, but the deal fell through due to the Pistons’ concerns over the long-term health of Motiejunas. Combine that with the fact that the Rockets were openly shopping Patrick Beverly, Dwight Howard and Ty Lawson, it’s quite clear the locker room is far from stable.

The Jazz are currently half a game behind Houston for the final playoff spot in the West, which means tonight’s contest has big postseason implications. Utah has enjoyed playing in Salt Lake City as of late, evidenced by the squad winning its last six home games.

Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick

Utah Jazz opened as -4-point favorites at online sportsbook Sportsbook, while the NBA total line was sitting around 200.5 at Sportsbook for those who prefer OVER/UNDER betting on the total amount of points scored.

Odds Shark computer prediction formulas pick a 108-104 win for the Jazz on Tuesday. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NBA matchups here.

Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

The Houston Rockets will try to spoil the party on Tuesday; they are 23-32-1 ATS against the betting spread this NBA season, while the Utah Jazz are 28-26-1 ATS. Houston is 33-23 vs the betting total points scored; Utah is 24-30-1. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Utah vs Houston injuries news.

The power rankings show a disparity between these teams with the Utah Jazz rated this week at No. 10 and the Houston Rockets sitting at No. 13.

Statistical Matchup

Offensively the game matches up Utah's No. 25-ranked offense (98.11 PPG) against a Houston Rockets defense that ranks No. 27 at 106.66 PPG. The Utah Jazz have averaged 44.73% from the field per game, more than the Houston Rockets have managed so far this NBA season (44.4% on average).

Recent Outings Betting Recap

James Harden scored 27 points and chipped in with 27 rebounds for Houston on Friday, leading the Rockets to a 116-100 victory over Phoenix at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Utah suffered a 115-111 loss against Portland on Sunday, getting 22 points from Derrick Favors in a losing effort at Moda Center.

Betting Trends
  • Houston is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games
  • Houston is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 9 of Houston's last 11 games
  • Houston is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
  • Utah is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games
  • Utah is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games at home
  • Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

Next Betting Matchups

Houston at Portland, Thursday, February 25th
Utah home to San Antonio, Thursday, February 25th

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