The Houston Rockets were stunned on their home court in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinals. However, they responded like a No. 1 seed should when they smoked the Utah Jazz in Utah on Friday night. They cruised to a 113-92 win as the Jazz never had a shot in the game.

We’ve now seen two Rockets blowouts and Jazz win in this series. Can the Jazz slow down the Rockets and play at the speed they want to in Game 4 or will the Rockets take a 3-1 series chokehold?

NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis

The Rockets continue to own Northwest Division opponents, going 22-4 SU and 18-7-1 ATS against them this season. They won and covered nine of their last 14 against the Jazz.

The good news for Utah is that they’ve been a good rebound team of late. They are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after a loss of 10 or more.

 And for the odds stat of the day, the Rockets have lost just once on a Sunday this season (12-1) while the Jazz are 5-4.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets offense is going to get plenty of credit for their win in Game 3 but the defense is what deserves the spotlight. They’ve now held the Jazz to 96 points or less in two of the three games. It’s no coincidence that they won both of those and lost the lone contest where they allowed the Jazz to reach 116 points. Houston held the Jazz to just 41.7% shooting from the field and limited them to 37.2% from three-point land. More importantly, they stopped Donovan Mitchell’s helpers as Joe Ingles, who shredded the Rockets in Game 2, was held to just six points in Game 3.  Even Mitchell himself was held to 10 points while Rudy Gobert was limited to 12. The Rockets also won the turnover battle 16-8, which was key to their victory.

As for the Rockets, their offense came to play and that’s what they’ll need again in Game 4. When they play at their pace – running and gunning – instead of the halfcourt style that the Jazz prefer, they end up winning big. We saw that in Games 1 and 3, and then we saw what happens when the Jazz play at their pace in Game 4. The Rockets will try to dictate their pace in Game 4 to earn another easy win.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz need to find a way to slow this game down. The Rockets had 39 points in the first quarter, 31 in the second and held a 30-point lead at halftime in Game 3. This Jazz team isn’t built to come from behind or to get into shootouts. However, if they play at their pace, they can make this a contest.

At the other end, the Jazz need to limit the Rockets supporting cast. James Harden and Chris Paul are going to score, but the Rockets had a lot of help from guys like Eric Gordon (25 points), Clint Capela (11), Trevor Ariza (11) and Nene (8). If those guys are hitting double digits, the Jazz are in trouble. At the same time, while the Rockets can win without much help from their supporting cast, the Jazz can’t. They’ll need big games from Mitchell, Ingles, Gobert and at least one other player to find a path to victory. They don’t have the superstars that the Rockets do, which means the sum of their parts has to overcome that.

Injuries

Houston

PJ Tucker (SF)

Prob Wed Knee - 24 / 04 / 18

Trevor Ariza (SF)

Out Wed Rest - 11 / 04 / 18

Clint Capela (C)

Prob Sun Hand - 11 / 04 / 18

Eric Gordon (SG)

Prob Sun Ankle - 11 / 04 / 18

Luc Mbah a Moute (PF)

Prob Sun Shoulder - 11 / 04 / 18

Nene (C)

Out Wed Rest - 11 / 04 / 18

Chris Paul (PG)

Out Wed Rest - 11 / 04 / 18

Tarik Black (PF)

Ques Tues Back - 06 / 04 / 18

Ryan Anderson (PF)

Prob Sat Ankle - 03 / 04 / 18

Gerald Green (SG)

day-to-day Leg - 01 / 04 / 18

Utah

Dante Exum (PG)

Ques Tues Hamstring - 06 / 05 / 18

Royce O'Neale (SF)

day-to-day Knee - 06 / 05 / 18

Derrick Favors (PF)

Prob Sun Ankle - 05 / 05 / 18

Ricky Rubio (PG)

Ques Tues Hamstring - 28 / 04 / 18

Jae Crowder (SF)

Prob Sun Eye - 05 / 04 / 18

Joe Ingles (SF)

Prob Thurs Knee - 04 / 04 / 18

Tony Bradley (C)

Ques Fri Concussion - 13 / 03 / 18

Raul Neto (PG)

Mid April Wrist - 12 / 03 / 18

Joe Johnson (SG)

Prob Wed Acquired - 14 / 02 / 18

Derrick Rose (PG)

Doub Sun Acquired - 10 / 02 / 18

Injuries

Houston

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
PJ Tucker (SF)	Prob Wed	Knee - 24 / 04 / 18	8-5	5-8	+ -
Tucker is expected to suit up against the Timberwolves for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first round despite a left knee injury.
Trevor Ariza (SF)	Out Wed	Rest - 11 / 04 / 18	9-10	6-13	+ -
Ariza will not be available against the Kings on Wednesday as he will be given the night off to rest.
Clint Capela (C)	Prob Sun	Hand - 11 / 04 / 18	9-10	6-13	+ -
Capela is battling a hand injury but is likely to be available for Game 1 of the Western Conference first round against the Timberwolves.
Eric Gordon (SG)	Prob Sun	Ankle - 11 / 04 / 18	9-10	6-13	+ -
Gordon has soreness in his left ankle but is expected to suit up against the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference first round.
Luc Mbah a Moute (PF)	Prob Sun	Shoulder - 11 / 04 / 18	9-10	6-13	+ -
Mbah a Moute is recovering from a dislocated right shoulder but is expected to return for Game 1 of the Western Conference second round against the Jazz.
Nene (C)	Out Wed	Rest - 11 / 04 / 18	9-10	6-13	+ -
Nene will receive a day of rest and will not partake in Wednesday's game against the Kings.
Chris Paul (PG)	Out Wed	Rest - 11 / 04 / 18	9-10	6-13	+ -
Paul will not participate in Wednesday's game against the Kings due to a day of rest.
Tarik Black (PF)	Ques Tues	Back - 06 / 04 / 18	9-11	6-14	+ -
Black sat out the last game with a stiff lower back and it is unclear if he will play against the Lakers on Tuesday.
Ryan Anderson (PF)	Prob Sat	Ankle - 03 / 04 / 18	10-12	7-15	+ -
Anderson is recovering from a left ankle sprain but is expected to play in Game 3 of the Western Conference first round against the Timberwolves.
Gerald Green (SG)	day-to-day	Leg - 01 / 04 / 18	10-13	7-16	+ -
Green exited the previous game due to a left leg injury and it is unknown if he will return.

Utah

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Dante Exum (PG)	Ques Tues	Hamstring - 06 / 05 / 18	0-2	0-2	+ -
Exum is dealing with a strained left hamstring and it is uncertain if he will play against the Rockets in Game 5 of the Western Conference second round.
Royce O'Neale (SF)	day-to-day	Knee - 06 / 05 / 18	0-2	0-2	+ -
O'Neale left Sunday's game with a right knee injury and it is unknown if he will return.
Derrick Favors (PF)	Prob Sun	Ankle - 05 / 05 / 18	1-2	1-2	+ -
Favors sprained his left ankle in the previous game but is expected to be in the lineup Sunday for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference second round against the Rockets.
Ricky Rubio (PG)	Ques Tues	Hamstring - 28 / 04 / 18	1-5	1-5	+ -
Rubio is sidelined with a left hamstring strain and it is unknown if he will return for Game 5 of the Western Conference second round against the Rockets.
Jae Crowder (SF)	Prob Sun	Eye - 05 / 04 / 18	7-8	7-8	+ -
Crowder exited the last game with a corneal abrasion in his left eye but is expected to play Sunday against the Lakers.
Joe Ingles (SF)	Prob Thurs	Knee - 04 / 04 / 18	8-8	8-8	+ -
Ingles is likely to play Thursday against the Clippers despite a right knee contusion.
Tony Bradley (C)	Ques Fri	Concussion - 13 / 03 / 18	12-14	14-12	+ -
Bradley has been cleared from a concussion but it is unknown if he will draw back into the lineup against the Grizzlies on Friday.
Raul Neto (PG)	Mid April	Wrist - 12 / 03 / 18	12-14	14-12	+ -
Neto has been diagnosed with a fractured left wrist but is aiming to return to the lineup by the middle of April.
Joe Johnson (SG)	Prob Wed	Acquired - 14 / 02 / 18	16-20	16-20	+ -
Johnson has been recently acquired by the Rockets and is expected to be available for Wednesday's game against the Kings.
Derrick Rose (PG)	Doub Sun	Acquired - 10 / 02 / 18	18-21	17-22	+ -
Rose was recently acquired but is unlikely to play against the Trail Blazers on Sunday.

Rockets vs. Jazz Game 4 Prediction