Utah at Houston Betting Prediction, Pick & TV Info

Posted by Kenny Bell on Tuesday,March 7, 2017 9:32, EDT in

NBA News, Betting Tips, Picks & Previews

Both the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets are going to make the playoffs, but it’s unlikely they will meet each other there with Utah at No. 4 in the West and Houston at No. 3. It is possible, however, that the Jazz will slide to No. 6 and could open the postseason vs. Houston. The teams meet Wednesday in one of the games of the night in the NBA. The Rockets will be NBA betting favorites at home.

Utah at Houston Betting Prediction, Pick & TV Info

When: Wednesday, March 8, 8 PM ET
Where: Toyota Center, Houston
TV: NBA League Pass
Stream: NBA.tv
Radio: Utah / Houston
NBA Odds: Rockets favored by TBA

Why Bet on Utah?

The Jazz could be short-handed again here as George Hill (toe soreness, rest), Joe Johnson (groin) and Shelvin Mack (ankle) all missed Monday’s game against the Pelicans. It was the second of a back-to- back for Utah so the Jazz were being cautious on Hill and Johnson.

Last week, Hill scored a season-high 34 points (10-of- 12) vs. BKN (3/3), becoming only the ninth NBA player in the last 50 years to record 34-plus points on 12-or- fewer field goal attempts. Hill also tied a first half season-high for a Jazzman this season with 19 points. The Jazz are now 14-1 when he scores 20-plus points.

On Sunday, the Jazz manufactured their largest comeback of the season, rallying from 16 points down to defeat the Kings, 110-109, in overtime. Rodney Hood scored a season-high 28 points on 10-of- 17 shooting from the floor. Rudy Gobert, who netted the game-winner for Utah, recorded 16 points, 24 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Gobert has recorded at least one block in 33 consecutive games, the longest streak this season in the NBA. He became the first Jazzman to record multiple streaks of 24-or- more games with a block in the same season since Mark Eaton in 1988-89 and the only player to do so this season. In the last 10 years, only seven players have tallied multiple streaks of at least 20 consecutive games with a block in the same season.

The Jazz and Rockets have split the first two games of this year’s season series. In the two games, Gordon Hayward has averaged 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Gobert has posted 14.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. Rodney Hood is averaging 22.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the two games.

Utah’s last win in Houston came last season, an 89-87 win on 3/23/16. Their last two-game win streak against the Rockets also came last season (2/23/16-3/23/16). Utah split the season series with Houston last year, 2-2.

Why Bet on Houston?

Houston’s Mike D’Antoni currently has 499 career wins as a head coach in the NBA. There are currently 29 coaches in league history with at least 500 wins, including four active (Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers, Rick Carlisle, and Nate McMillan).

Since joining the Rockets on 2/23, Lou Williams second on the team in scoring with 17.2 ppg in 24.4 minutes per game. He had 27 points in 25 minutes of play in his Rockets debut at New Orleans on 2/23 while hitting a career-high tying 7 3-pointers. That marked the most 3FGM by a player in his first game with a team in NBA history.

Over his past 19 games played, Williams is averaging 20.8 ppg (396 total) in 24.5 minutes per game (466 total) while shooting 47.3% (116-245 FGs) from the floor, 41.6% (57-137 3FGs) from 3-point range and 92.2% (107-116 FTs) from the line. Williams has scored as many or more points as minutes played nine times this season. He has scored 20+ points as a reserve 27 times, which is already the fifth-highest single season total by any player dating back to 1994-95.

The Rockets are 23-8 at home this season, with two of the losses coming to San Antonio. Houston only won 23 games at home all of last season (23-18 mark; fewest home wins in an 82-game season since 2005-06).

James Harden is averaging 28.8 points (third in NBA), 11.3 assists (first in NBA) and 8.0 rebounds this season. Oscar Robertson (3 times) is the only player in NBA history to have averaged at least 28.0 ppg, 11.0 apg and 8.0 rpg in a single season. Harden is scoring 28.8 points per game while providing 27.4 ppg off of assists. He is scoring or assisting on 56.2 ppg this season. The NBA record for the highest combined single season average of points and points off assists was 56.8 by Nate Archibald in 1972-73.

Utah is looking to win its first season series vs. Houston since going 2-1 in 2011-12. In the two meetings this season, the Jazz are averaging 111.0 points on 53.3% shooting while Rockets are averaging 106.0 ppg on 42.7% FGs. Utah is averaging 13.5 3FGM on 49.1% shooting. Houston is averaging 12.5 offensive rebounds.

Harden is averaging 28.5 points and has 17 assists with 2 turnovers vs. Utah but is shooting 38.3% from the floor. Eric Gordon is averaging 22.0 points vs. Utah.