Jazz vs. Rockets Prediction
Will the Houston Rockets continue their recent upswing tonight when they host the Utah Jazz at 8PM ET? Here’s our breakdown for this #NBA game.
537 Utah Jazz at 538 Houston Rockets
Monday, December 17, 2018
8PM ET – Toyota Center
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Rockets are the slight favorite, as they are getting odds of -5 points against the Jazz. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 212 points. The public betting for this game currently has 75 percent going on the Rockets at home. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NBA Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Jazz slipping up
Utah has dropped three of its last four games following a 96-89 loss to Orlando in Mexico City on Saturday. The Jazz are 14-16 on the year, 9-9 on the road, 14-16 against the spread and 17-13 with the over.
The Jazz are still a pretty good defensive team despite struggling on offense. They are giving up just 106.6 points per game and allowing the second-fewest rebounds in the league. Offensively, Utah puts up only 106.8 points per game while shooting just 33.5 percent from the arc. Donovan Mitchell is leading the team with 20.9 points per game while Rudy Gobert is adding 14.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per contest.
Rockets heating up
Houston is coming off a 105-97 win at Memphis on Saturday for its third straight victory. The Rockets have covered the spread in all three wins as well. Houston is now 14-14 on the season, 7-9 on the road, 12-16 against the spread and 16-12 with the over.
The Rockets are starting to warm up on offense a little bit. They are now averaging 108.9 points per game after starting the season near the bottom of the NBA in scoring. Defensively, the Rockets are giving up 109.1 points per game while holding opponents to just 47.8 percent shooting. James Harden is putting up 30.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game while Clint Capela is adding 17.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per contest.
NBA Betting Trends
Utah
The Jazz have failed to cover the spread in four straight road games and in five of their last six Monday games.
Houston
Houston is 6-2 against the spread in their last eight home games and 5-1 ATS in their last six after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Prediction:
Utah has won and covered in both meetings with the Rockets this season, but Houston finally seems to be clicking a little bit. Their offense is starting to look more like what we expect while the defense is still playing above average. Utah has been pretty average across the board the whole season and we just don’t see them playing at the level they did last year. I think Houston will ride its current momentum to another win and cover tonight.
NBA Prediction: Houston Rockets -5