Week 2 of the NBA season is upon us. The Utah Jazz travel to Texas to face the Houston Rockets. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Jazz-Rockets prediction based on Jazz-Rockets odds.
Utah ended last season with the best record in the Western Conference but fell to the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round of the playoffs. This team is playing great basketball as of lately. They are 3-0 to start the season and look to continue that streak against a poor Rockets team. Donovan Mitchell is turning into an elite guard in the NBA, and Rudy Gobert continues to prove his defensive worth.
The Rockets are not a very competitive team at this point. After losing James Harden last year, everything has gone downhill for Houston. The Rockets contain some solid veteran players, but with the way the NBA is now, they won't likely stay on this team for the full season. The team is working to trade John Wall, but for now, they are just trying to stay in games. This matchup is not favorable for the Rockets whatsoever.
Here is how the bookmakers have set the line for Jazz-Rockets for Thursday night.
NBA Odds: Jazz-Rockets Odds
Utah Jazz: -9.5 (-110)
Houston Rockets: +9.5 (-110)
Over: 222 (-110)
Under: 222 (-110)
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Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
The Jazz can cover this spread pretty easily. The Rockets aren't a very competitive team right now. Utah places a mismatch 1-5 in the lineup and should dominate this game. The Jazz are arguably the top team in the West, and the Rockets might very well be 15th. Bojan Bogdanovic will be our for the Jazz, so that takes away a shooter. I don't think that will be a major factor at all and Utah should still control this game.
The Jazz are 3-0 against the spread this year. The backcourt of Mike Conley and Mitchell is only getting better and should be one of the best duos this season. The bench is stacked with Hassan Whiteside, Jordan Clarkson, and Joe Ingles all coming in for the second unit. Utah is going to make some noise once again this year.
Why The Rockets Could Cover The Spread
The Rockets are unlikely to cover this spread, but here is how they can. (9.5) points is a lot for an NBA spread. At the end of the day, these guys are all professionals so anything can happen. They face a difficult task in the Jazz. Utah is going to continue to win games and will potentially win the West again.
For Thursday night, the Rockets will need to shut down Mitchell and Conley. Even if they do that, they still face the task of shutting down the second unit. It's going to be a group effort and the Rockets will have to play their absolute best to stay close. I don't think there is any way the Rockets can win this game, but covering 9.5 points is possible. Jalen Green will need to break out and the veteran players will need to keep them in the game. The defensive side will struggle the most, as the Jazz can put up 140 on them if the Rockets defense doesn't step up.
Final Jazz-Rockets Prediction & Pick
I expect the Jazz to dominate this game. This is just too big of a mismatch for Houston to have any real success. The Jazz are looking to stay hot and start the season 4-0. Because of how good they are, I expect them to be a major factor in the over hitting as well. These two teams are on opposite sides of the spectrum right now.
Final Jazz-Rockets Prediction & Pick: Jazz -9.5 (-110) & Over 222 (-110)
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