The Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets will meet up on Monday night in what should be one of the best games of the week around the NBA. Both teams are seen as contenders in the rugged Western Conference, and this game will definitely have an effect on playoff seeding. Houston will be playing for the second straight night, while the Utah Jazz should be well rested for this one.
Houston comes into this game having lost five of their last seven games, and they are on a tough road trip. The Rockets have fallen into a first place tie with the Dallas Mavericks in the Southwest Division with an overall record of 28-17.
Utah has won four straight games to take over first place in the Northwest Division. The Jazz have gone 18-3 so far at home, and are 32-13 overall. The Jazz are trying to track down the Lakers for the top seed in the Western Conference.
Rockets Want to Score in a Hurry
The Houston Rockets are averaging 118.7 points per game this season, which is the second best mark in the league. Houston is going to push the tempo when they have the ball, but they will likely be a little fatigued after playing on Sunday night. The Rockets shoot a ton of three pointers, and tired legs could force them to miss some of those shots on Monday night. Houston is allowing over 114 points per game, and they must improve on that end of the floor to be a real threat in the Western Conference.
James Harden remains the best pure scorer in the NBA, but he commands the ball too much when the Rockets are on offense. Harden leads the team with over 36 points per game, but the Jazz should be able to slow him down. Point guard Russell Westbrook is still capable of a triple-double in any game, but his production has gone down since joining the Rockets.
Jazz Can Really Defend
The Utah Jazz do not have the offensive firepower that the Houston Rockets possess, but they do have a terrific defensive team. The Jazz are allowing less than 106 points per game, and they usually pick up their defense when playing at home. Utah is scoring over 111 points per game, which is right about league average. The Jazz will have to find some offense in this game, but their defense will be the key.
Center Rudy Gobert is shooting over 65 percent from the floor for the Jazz, and he is also an elite rim protector. Shooting guard Donovan Mitchell leads the team with 24.7 points per game, and he is capable of scoring in a variety of ways. The Jazz have a roster full of role players and shooters, and they will need to show up in this game.
Jazz Too Much For Rockets at Home
This game might play out differently if it was being played in Houston, but the Jazz are fortunate to be playing at home in this game. The Rockets are playing for the second straight night, and that’s never easy for NBA team to do. Houston has two of the most prolific scorers in the NBA on their team, but they just have too many flaws to win games consistently.
Utah doesn’t score points at a high rate, but they can really defend. The Jazz have lost just three games at home all season long, and they aren’t losing to the Rockets in this game. Look for the Jazz to score just enough points to beat a fatigued Rockets team in this game. Bet the Utah Jazz over the Houston Rockets on Monday night. Take the Jazz at RealBookies.com our favorite pay per head bookie.
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