Rockets vs. Jazz Odds, Prediction: Game 4 NBA Playoffs
Has any team been more impressive thus far in the playoffs than the Houston Rockets with their 3-0 lead? The top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks, also can complete a first-round sweep on Monday night. However, they are playing a Detroit Pistons team that isn’t nearly as good as the Utah Jazz. The Rockets obviously would like to finish things off Monday and get well rested ahead of a likely Western Conference semifinal matchup against the Golden State Warriors.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
On the updated Sports Interaction series line, Houston is -10000 and Utah +1200. The favoured series exact result is Rockets 4-0 at -141. No team has ever rallied from down 3-0 to win an NBA playoff series. Utah doing so currently is priced at +1800.
Houston has covered six of its past seven trips to Salt Lake City.
Houston Rockets
When a team’s best player starts a game missing his first 15 shots, said team is supposed to lose. Yet, Houston didn’t in Game 3, prevailing 104-101 despite James Harden indeed beginning 0-for-15. Harden’s 15 missed field-goal attempts to begin the game were the most in the playoffs in the past 20 seasons. He bounced back, though, with 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. Harden also finished 14-for-16 from the free-throw line and with 10 assists and six steals.
Houston shot just 38.4 percent as a team. Each of Houston’s previous six playoff wins against Utah were by double digits going back to 2018. The Rockets were 5-7 in games decided by three or fewer points during the regular season.
Utah Jazz
Normally in the NBA when a team shoots a better percentage than its opponent, as the Jazz did in Game 3, it wins. However, Utah did miss 13 free throws and was outrebounded. Donovan Mitchell had his best game of the series with 34 points, but it also took him 27 shots and he missed a late three-pointer that would have tied it. No other Jazz starter had more than 10 points. Rudy Gobert set a playoff career high with seven blocks.
Coach Quin Snyder shook things up by starting Jae Crowder over Derrick Favors. He may rethink that after Crowder had only five points and Favors 13.
HOU
UTA