The Utah Jazz (+15,000 to win the NBA title) were too proud to let the Houston Rockets sweep them in the first round. With momentum finally on their side, will the Jazz make it two in a row when they meet the Rockets (+750) again in Game 5? Or will Houston put a stop to Utah’s dreams of extending the series further? Going into the game the Rockets are favored by 8-points at the sportsbook.
The Jazz played their sweetest music thus far in the playoffs on Monday, as they lived to see another game in the first round following a 107-91 win at home over the Houston Rockets. Donovan Mitchell made sure of that with his tantalizing performance, especially late in the game. After shooting just 36 percent in the first three quarters, Mitchell got hot in the final period in which he went 6-for-12 from the field and finished with 31 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists. If the Jazz are to beat Houston again, they will need Mitchell to be in the same form he flashed in Game 4 – if not, better. Thus far in the series, Mitchell is averaging 23.8 points per game. The Jazz also got a boost from Ricky Rubio, who chipped in 18 points and, more impressively, 11 assists – a career postseason high. Don’t be surprised if Utah give increased minutes to Derrick Favors at the expense of Rudy Gobert’s playing time after the former had success late in Game 4 with the latter sitting on the bench.
The Jazz are 6-4 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 road games.
Betting on the Houston Rockets (53-29 Regular Season)
There’s no need for Houston to panic. After all, the odds to win the series are still very much in their favor. Plus, they have a chance to close out Utah at home this coming Wednesday. In Game 4’s loss to the Jazz, the Rockets managed to get comforting production from MVP candidate James Harden, who bounced back from a bad-shooting night in Game 3 and scored 30 points on 8-for-19 shooting from the field with six 3-pointers in 38 minutes. Speaking of which, the Rockets continue to torch Utah from deep. They drilled 17 3-pointers on 46 attempts in the last game. Eric Gordon had 16 points, powered by a 5-for-10 shooting from downtown. As a team, the Rockets are making 16.0 triples per game so far in the series on 36.8 percent accuracy. Big man Clint Capela only had four points (1-4 FG) in Game 4, though, that was likely largely due to a virus he dealt with prior to the contest. With some rest, he should play a lot better at home this Wednesday.
The Rockets are 2-0-1 ATS in their last three home games against Utah.
