There are a lot of big divisional games on the NBA schedule on Wednesday night, but there is one non-divisional game that may be bigger than anything else on tap. I am talking about the Utah Jazz heading into Houston to face the Rockets in a game that is going to go a long way towards deciding which of these two teams will be appearing in the playoffs this year. The Western Conference playoff picture is as tight as it gets at the moment, with just a game and a half separating the 6th from the 9th seed. It is the Utah Jazz who are the odd man out right now, but they know that the playoff picture may well look a whole lot different if they can come away with the win in Houston. The Rockets may well be the favorites for this one given their home court advantage, but there really is very little difference between these two teams. This is a great game to wager on, so be sure to get your NBA online bets in before the opening tip.
Utah Jazz Vs Houston Rockets NBA Lines Report
When: Wednesday, March 23 at 8 PM EST
Where: Toyota Center, Houston
TV: ROOT
Radio: KZNS and KBME
Live Stream: NBA Stream
NBA Odds: TBA
Why bet on the Utah Jazz
This game is about as close as it gets to a must win for the Utah Jazz (34-36), as we are now at the stage of the season where losing any more ground may start to make the playoffs an impossible dream. The Jazz are playing some pretty decent ball right now, and are 6-4 in their last 10 games, which is better than the teams that they are chasing right now. With 4 teams chasing just 3 spots, someone is going to miss out, but I feel that Utah are going to do enough to get in. Yes, they have a tough schedule to close out the season, but a lot of the teams that they have to face are going to be resting key personnel ahead of the postseason. The Jazz are averaging 97.8 PPG, and are giving up 96.5 PPG.
Why bet on the Houston Rockets
The Rockets (35-35) are once again back to their unpredictable best, as they are currently on a win one/lose one streak at the worst possible time of the season. This is a team that is loaded with talent, yet one that seems unable to get anything going on a consistent basis. They are arguably the best team of the 4 that are fighting for those final playoff spots, but that unpredictability is what is killing them at the moment. The good news is that the Rockets have a winning record at home, and have beaten the Jazz on their last 6 visits to the Toyota Center. Houston are averaging 106.1 PPG, and are giving up 107.0 PPG.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
When you bet on a regular basis, you end up putting on a number of wagers that are nothing more than hunch plays. All the data suggests that the Rockets should get the home win here, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the Jazz will come away with the win.
