The Utah Jazz might be underdogs in their Western Conference Semifinals matchup against the Houston Rockets, but they don’t plan on rolling over. Utah pulled off a big-time upset in Game 2 last time out to know the series at 1 as the series now heads to the Jazz’s home court.
The Rockets are the superior team and will be a slight favorite but Utah certainly has the capacity to win this game, which would really add some intrigue to a series many thought Houston would win handily. The Jazz found a fantastic groove in the second half of the regular season and has carried it into the playoffs by knocking off the Thunder in the first round and playing the Rockets tough in the conference semifinals.
This is a pivotal game as another win by Utah would really get the Rockets’ attention. Houston can regain control by capturing the victory in NBA basketball gambling.
Game 3 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Friday, May 4, 2018 at 10:30 p.m. ET at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The contest will be nationally televised on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
Odds Analysis
The Rockets have been listed as 3.5-point favorites to knock off the Jazz on the road in Game 3. It’s still very early, but the Rockets have gotten the majority of the action to cover thus far.
The scoring total is listed at 207 points, as this series is an interesting battle between the high-scoring Rockets and the defensive-minded Jazz. The “over” is the more common pick in the earlygoing.
Houston is the -175 favorite on the moneyline, while Utah is listed as the +151 underdog. The Jazz would love to pull out the win but the oddsmakers have made it clear it would be an upset.
Last Time Out
The youthful Jazz squad looked like a much more formidable opponent against Houston in Game 2. After a back-and-forth first three quarters, Utah put together a strong finish to defeat Houston 116-108.
The Jazz jumped out to a 19-point lead in the second quarter, but Houston came out with a strong start to the second half and took the lead in the third quarter. Utah responded with 30-point fourth quarter to rally and pull out the win. Joe Ingles had a big game for Utah, finishing with 27 points, while Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert also came up with huge plays down the stretch.
James Harden led the Rockets with 32 points and 11 assists. Chris Paul and Clint Capela also had nice games but the supporting cast didn’t perform as well as needed for Houston.
Injury Report
Utah won Game 2 without starting point guard Ricky Rubio, who continues to sit with a hamstring injury. He is not expected to return until late in the series if it gets that far, and the Jazz will need to figure out ways to replace his ball-handling and passing. Rubio had a triple-double earlier in the playoffs and is a key cog in the Utah attack.
Royce O’Neal has been inserted into the starting lineup and has been tasked with guarding Harden. Dante Exum has seen an uptick in playing time. He has done a nice job and if the team can get valuable minutes out of those two it should be able to remain competitive.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Jazz are a tough team because it is patient on offense and plays well on defense. The Rockets are clearly the more talented group but the Jazz are greater than its parts. Utah is the choice to cover the spread in a game that could come down to the final minutes, but Houston is the pick to sneak out a narrow victory and re-establish control of this series in NBA basketball gambling.
The “over” is the choice on the scoring total as Houston will be able to keep the pace high.
NBA ATS Pick: Rockets 107, Jazz 105
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