Thursday’s game between the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz is the first meeting this season of the longtime rivals, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We have the latest point spread, money line odds and over-under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet on Tipico Sportsbook.
The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. Central and can be viewed or streamed via AT&T SportsNet Southwest and NBA League Pass.
Led by promising talents such as Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Christian Wood, the young Rockets (1-3) are in the middle of a rough scheduling draw in which they’re facing off with many established NBA heavyweights. Houston is now on the third game of a seven-game stretch in which each opponent made the playoffs last season — and Utah (3-0) is tougher than most, since Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert’s squad finished with the NBA’s best record in the 2020-21 regular season.
The good news for the Rockets is that they were relatively competitive in a pair of 10-point losses to Boston and Dallas to start this run. The bad news is that after Thursday, they begin a five-game road trip on the West coast — which could make this their most viable chance at an upset.
Jazz at Rockets lineups, notable injuries:
For the Rockets, reserve forward Danuel House Jr. is listed as out on the team’s injury report after spraining his right foot during Tuesday’s game at Dallas. As expected, five-time All-Star John Wall is again sitting out as part of a mutually agreed-upon plan not to play this season.
For Utah, Rudy Gay is out as he recovers from a right heel injury. Bojan Bogdanovic and Miye Oni are questionable with non-COVID illnesses, while Eric Paschall is questionable due to a facial infection.
The lines, courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook
- Point spread: Jazz -8.5
- Money line: Rockets +330 / Jazz -450
- Over-under: 220.5 points
Advice and prediction
The Rockets have covered the spread in two of their last three games, and they’re likely to be highly incentivized to seek out a home win against Utah, considering how brutal their upcoming road trip is. In their last two games, they lost by only 10 points to a pair of 2020-21 playoff teams (Boston, Dallas), and the latter was on the road.
Securing a victory over the veteran-laden Jazz might be too much to ask for, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Houston again covers. That could especially be the case if Bogdanovic is unavailable.
Prediction: Jazz 113, Rockets 105
This post originally appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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