Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz Prediction: Will this one hit the 250 mark?

The NBA Regular Season is in the works and this makes for another tricky prediction scenario. Some teams such as Boston Celtics which were red-hot earlier have cooled off while slumping squads like Chicago Bulls have picked up their games, therefore, the scenario keeps challenging us and we can go on our own losing and winning streaks. In this game, two teams on losing streaks, Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets are going to take on each other.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz come into this game after continuing their trend of losing close games as they succumbed to the Kings 115:117 despite a 28 points performance by Lauri Markkanen. They have now lost five in a row, and these losses have been in the 1-5 points range, implying that the team does have the fighting spirit but lacks the closeout game. Defensive issues have plagued them all season long and because of that, they have 21 losses and 19 wins, meaning there is a lot of scope to improve. However, will the management wait or pull off some trades?

The Jazz had a strong start to the season but their defensive lapses have haunted them lately. Lauri Markkanen is having the best season of his life and has scored in 28-38 points range consistently. The Guard rotation is deep with Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Malik Beasley, and Colin Sexton, which has both driving and shooting options. Jarred Vanderbilt and Kelly Olynyk have given solid minutes but the biggest issue with the Jazz is their lack of size which makes for easy scoring opportunities, which has overshadowed one of the best offenses in the league. The Jazz’s season is a sort of replica of how the Hornets played last season.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets come into this game after another big loss as they succumbed 108:119 against the Pelicans to make it five losses in a row. Houston has now lost 10 out of their 11 games and as a result, they now have been burdened with 28 losses and just have 10 wins. Their best window was from late November to mid-December whern they won six out of their ten games. During all these wins, Jalen Green burst for 20+ points and that was the decisive blow the Rockets dealt even against the Giannis-led Bucks and the mighty 76ers. However, since that window, they have been just dealing with losses.

This was expected from a squad that has two sophomores, a rookie, and a veteran in his last playing days alongside a freshly experienced Point Guard. If we go to the bench, it also has a bunch of youngsters so the results that have come up are only natural. It is clear that Houston is heading towards another losing season and they will be figuring in a loaded draft, making them one of the contenders for landing the highly coveted and once-in-a-generation talent Victor Wembanyama. The current season is mostly focused on the team’s development rather than focusing on wins.

Injuries

• Rockets: OUT: Jae’Sean Tate;
• Jazz: OUT: Collin Sexton.

Player Props Predictions

• Expected Leading Scorers: Lauri Markkanen(28-35 Points), Jalen Green(20-25 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Lauri Markkanen(10-13 Rebounds), Jabari Smith Jr(7-10 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Mike Conley(8-10 Assists), Kevin Porter Jr.(6-8 Assists).

Expert Betting Tips

The Rockets have been struggling way too much and after losing in the last game last night, the exhaustion level will be sky-high. But when you return home, such pains can be forgotten, however, in the case of the Rockets, they have lost seven in a row here with no relief in sight. While Jazz themselves have lost a ton, their games have been way closer than the Rockets one. Therefore, an edge here belongs to the Jazz and I predict a 130:116 in favor of the Jazz.