After going into Salt Lake City and putting the hammer down on the Utah Jazz, the Houston Rockets will try to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their series tonight as they continue their quest for an NBA Championship. The Rockets clobbered the Jazz 113-92 in Game 3 and rebounded from an awful effort in Game 2 that saw them lose for only the eighth time at home all season. Houston opened as a 6-point favorite to knock off the upstart Jazz.
- Houston is 6-1 SU in the last seven games vs Utah.
- The total has gone OVER in four of Houston’s last six games.
- Utah is 4-2 ATS in its last six games at home.
The Utah Jazz are not used to losing at home. After winning seven straight and going 12-2 in their last 14 games in their building, the Jazz committed 16 turnovers in Game 3 which led to an easy 19 points for Houston. Super rookie Donovan Mitchell was neutralized by the Rockets smothering defense that limited him to 10 points on 4 of 16 shooting from the field. The absence of point guard Ricky Rubio has put the Jazz in a tough spot for ball-handling duties as its bumped Mitchell into his spot to run the offense. Scoring was tough all-around for the Jazz as Aussie Joe Ingles was also limited to only seven points after hitting seven three-pointers in Game 2. Bettors that are planning to wager on Utah should know the Jazz are 5-1 SU and ATS in the last six games when dogs of 6 points or more.
In Game 3, the Rockets showed another glimpse of their offensive potential as they scored 70 points before halftime and finished the game with 50 points in the paint. James Harden was steady with 25 points and 12 assists but Eric Gordon scored 25 points off the bench after being limited to only 22 points total in Games 1 and 2. The Rockets are outscoring teams by 8.7 points per game during the playoffs and the mark increases to 10.8 on the road. When you factor in that Houston is 17-4 SU in its last 21 road games, it’s hard not to endorse a Rockets win tonight.
The total opened at 208.5 and the OVER may be the best option in this tilt. The OVER has hit in seven of the last 10 games in this matchup with an average combined score of 215.2 points per game.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had the Utah Jazz installed as 4-point underdogs in this particular NBA matchup. The over-under betting line for the total number of point scored was listed by most sportsbooks, including Sportsbook, at 207.
A 116-96 result in favor of the Rockets is the prediction by the Odds Shark handicapping pick engine. 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
Utah battles the Houston Rockets, currently with a 71-19 mark (46-42-2 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, important for totals betting, are 43-47-1 for the Utah Jazz and 37-52-1 for the Houston Rockets. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Utah vs Houston injuries news.
According to the betting Power Rankings at Odds Shark, it's the No. 2-rated Utah Jazz and the No. 3-rated Rockets in this NBA basketball matchup.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively the game matches up Utah's No. 19-ranked offense (104.14 PPG) against a Houston Rockets defense that ranks No. 7 at 103.7 PPG. The Utah Jazz have averaged 46.18% from the field per game, more than the Houston Rockets have managed so far this NBA season (45.85% on average).
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Houston cruised to victory on Friday, running Utah out of the gym and running up a 113-92 score at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
- Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Houston's last 16 games
- Utah is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
- Utah is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games
- Utah is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Houston home to Utah, Tuesday, May 8th
