Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 3-29-2024
Houston heads to Utah for a Western Conference matchup. Will the Rockets get a much-needed road win and continue their winning ways, or will the Jazz come out on top at home? The Houston Rockets are set to play the Utah Jazz in a Western Conference showdown at the Delta Center. The Rockets, currently ranked 11th and 12th place in the West, have been one of the league's best teams of late, while the Jazz, meanwhile, have ranked one of their worst teams. This game will be a final push towards the play-in tournament. The Houston Rockets have been the hottest team in the league this month, with ten wins in a row, including nine times they've covered the spread. However, their road record suggests they may struggle down the stretch. The Jazz, which has been officially eliminated from the playoff race, has lost seven consecutive games and only one win in their last ten games overall.
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The Utah Jazz play host to the Houston Rockets in a Western Conference showdown on Friday night from the delta Center. These two come into this one sitting in 11th and 12th place in the West, respectively, as they both look to mount a final push towards the play-in tournament. Across a pair of meetings this season, both in Houston, the Rockets sit at 2-0, including a 28-point win just a few days ago. The Rockets have been one of the league's best teams of late, while the Jazz have been one of the worst, as these two square off in this one. Need quality NBA Predictions? This is the ultimate site for basketball winners.
The Rockets have been the hottest team in the league this month and with ten wins in a row as they head into Friday, including nine times they've covered the spread, the sky appears to be the limit for this group. They remain in the hunt in the Western Conference and need to keep up the wins if they want to track down the Warriors, or someone else currently seeded into the play-in tournament. The wins have come against some quality teams as well, as wins over the Thunder, Cavaliers, and Kings, represent strong playoff teams. The worry is that they do have to hit the road for this one and with an 11-24 record way from home on the season, it casts some doubt over how well they can keep up their current quality of play. The Rockets have been the hottest team in the league this month and with ten wins in a row as they head into Friday, including nine times they've covered the spread, the sky appears to be the limit for this group. They remain in the hunt in the Western Conference and need to keep up the wins if they want to track down the Warriors, or someone else currently seeded into the play-in tournament. The wins have come against some quality teams as well, as wins over the Thunder, Cavaliers, and Kings, represent strong playoff teams. The worry is that they do have to hit the road for this one and with an 11-24 record way from home on the season, it casts some doubt over how well they can keep up their current quality of play. Take advantage of the best betting sites anywhere. Houston does have an injury report that is concerning, though it clearly hasn't slowed them down. Alperen Snegun (knee) is the most notable name, as the big man remains out indefinitely. With Steven Adams (knee) out for the season, their frontcourt depth has been slashed. Add in injuries to Cam Whitmore (knee) and Tari Eason (leg), both of whom are out, and depth becomes a worry, especially on the road. The Rockets have seen their offense struggle at times this season but of late, they've been able to find more and more scoring. The three-point line could be an area of advantage in this one, especially against a Utah team that is last defensively against the three. Sengun (21.1 ppg) is the leading scorer but the emergence of Jalen Green (19.8 ppg) has been instrumental towards this team finding success. The backcourt is filled with shooting and scoring and against a Utah team that struggles with depth, Houston's top-end scorers could make a world of difference in this one.
Having just been officially eliminated from the playoff race in the Western Conference, it'll be interesting to see how the Jazz handle their rotations over these last handful of games. They've lost seven in a row coming into this one, with only one win in their last ten games overall. Both of those trends don't lead to a ton of confidence in this one, especially considering they lost to the Rockets just a few games ago. The loss to an injury-riddled Spurs team last time out served to show how much Utah could struggle down the stretch. With the Rockets having everything to play for and the Jazz nothing, this is an intriguing matching at the Delta Center. Having just been officially eliminated from the playoff race in the Western Conference, it'll be interesting to see how the Jazz handle their rotations over these last handful of games. They've lost seven in a row coming into this one, with only one win in their last ten games overall. Both of those trends don't lead to a ton of confidence in this one, especially considering they lost to the Rockets just a few games ago. The loss to an injury-riddled Spurs team last time out served to show how much Utah could struggle down the stretch. With the Rockets having everything to play for and the Jazz nothing, this is an intriguing matching at the Delta Center. The Jazz have battled injuries for much of the season and heading into Friday night, not a lot has changed. Jordan Clarkson (back), one of their most electric scorers, remains questionable, having missed the last game. Johnny Juzang (back) joins him as questionable, while Kris Dunn (suspension) will be eligible but it remains to be seen how effective he'll be. Utah loves to play at a fast pace, sitting eighth in the league in field-goals attempted and tenth in threes attempted. The efficiency numbers haven't been there though and against a Houston team that has turned a massive corner on the defensive side, the Jazz could be slow out of the gate. Lauri Markkanen (23.2 ppg) is healthy again, which gives them their top scorer to pair with Collin Sexton (18.6 ppg) at guard. After thise two and Clarkson (17.1 ppg), there has been a big drop-off in scoring, which has equated to little depth. With this season nearly in the books, it'll be instrumental for Utah to make moves to fill in scoring in their second-unit, as that is likely to do them in on Friday night.
Best Bets for this Game
The Rockets have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the last few weeks and that'll continue into this one. They have been making statement after statement on the defensive end, while continuing to lean on the perimeter scoring to guide the offense. Utah has some talent themselves but have struggled to find cohesion, especially of late. Markkanen being back in the fold helps things but their remains too many gaps defensively, especially with them having just been eliminated. Add in an injury to Jordan Clarkson and questions continue to go unanswered as to where secondary scoring will come from. The Rockets have covered the spread in seven six straight and nine of their last ten, while the Jazz have only covered the spread in two of their last ten games overall. Given the opposite directions that these teams are going, expect Houston to continue their own positive movement. Want a second opinion on this pick? The over will hit in this matchup, as that seems to be the case when these two square off. Both meetings this season have seen the over hit and with plenty of scoring ready to go, fans can expect points. The Jazz will want this played at a fast pace and with Houston's perimeter trio playing their best basketball of the season, it's a match made in heaven for fans who want plenty of scoring. Depth has been an issue for the Jazz but Markkanen is playing consistent minutes, which gives them a go-to threat. It'll be exciting to see Houston continue their own scoring, especially after putting up 147 points against Utah the last time these two met just a week ago. The over has hit six of the last seven overall for Houston and two of the last three for the Jazz, as those scoring trends continue into this one.
Konular: Basketball, NBA, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets