Utah Jazz (52-47 SU, 46-43 ATS) vs. Houston Rockets (70-18 SU, 45-42-1 ATS)
Time: Wednesday, May 2, 2018 8:00 PM EDT
Where: Toyota Center Houston, TX
TV: TNT
by Keith, Professional NBA Handicapper, Predictem
Odds Utah +625, Houston -900
Point Spread: Houston -10.5
Total Line: 205.5
The Utah Jazz will once again head off to face with the Houston Rockets for Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals. The game is set to tip-off at the Toyota Center on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2018 at 8:00 PM ET. Syndication will be brought to audiences on TNT with a national viewing. The series continues to be dominated by Clutch City. The Rockets have won the last five meetings between both teams. In Game One, the Rockets blasted off. Houston defeated the Jazz by a score of 110-96 at home covering an 11.5-point line in the process.
The Jazz entered into this series creating some waves as they were able to upset the OK3 in six games. This is a reference none other than the Oklahoma City Thunder who feature a big three in Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George. Nevertheless, the experiment failed OKC miserably as the Jazz were able to take care of business in six games. After the Game One result, it is evident here that the Rockets are a completely different animal to square off with.
Several betting trends are worth focusing on in Game Two. To begin, the Rockets are 38-7 SU in Houston. Utah is just 21-24 SU on the road. In meetings between the two sides, Houston is now 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings. It is also worth annotating here that the Over/Under and Point Spread are virtually identical to their offering in Game One.
Utah as we have championed previously has the blueprint to be an effective and difficult opponent for the Rockets. The Jazz own advantages in the defense, rebounding, and bench categories complemented by a more efficient field goal percentage. This team embodies the principles and facets to be match-up effectively against the high-octane Houston offense.
The Rockets come into this contest with a proven approach to overcome said Utah defense. The combination of James Harden and Chris Paul seems to be a tandem that none can stop. The Houston offense is firing on all cylinders, and now they have the momentum heading into Game Two to work with as well. Moreover, Houston is dynamic on their home court, and there is a clear-cut case of home court advantage here for the Rockets to take advantage of in this contest.
From out of the chute, there has been a lean on the Jazz reflected in the market falling by 1.5 points since the open. In addition to this, we have seen 54% of the consensus like the Jazz in public forums. Over/Under markets, we have seen the figure drop by 1.5 points in some markets to reflect steam on the Under.
Spotting double-digit points is often a risky practice. This is especially true when you are backing a public favorite with home court advantage and a top seed to bolster its brand. Houston has been a target of ours previously for an overlay, but in this case, the opposite may be true. The heavy lean on the Jazz as a pooch is a red flag that signifies the underdog in this contest may appear to be undervalued. However, this is likely not the case at all. The copious amount of points here seems enticing given the fact the Jazz have the better defense. The ideology here is that their defense will keep them close enough in the game to bring them in under the number even if Houston gets another win. However, Houston led by as much as 27 points in Game One before Utah managed to wiggle back in. This time the Rockets will shut the door with emphasis.
KEITHs PICK: Houston -10.5 at 5Dimes to get the best line on this game and guys if you don’t have an account here, now is the time to save money during the NBA playoffs and all season long in MLB!