James Harden and the Houston Rockets will attempt to finish the deal this season, but they’ll have to rise from the fourth-seed in the Western Conference to do it. Houston earned the best record in the NBA last season and was a win away from reaching the Finals until an ill-timed injury to Chris Paul. There will be no rematch in the conference final this year, instead the winner of this series likely has the defending champion Warriors in the second round. The Rockets reached the West final by defeating Utah in five games last year, and they won the last two of the season series with Harden being his explosive self.
We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NBA postseason.
NBA Playoffs Betting at BookMaker.eu
No. 4 Houston Rockets vs. No. 5 Utah Jazz Series Schedule
Game 1: Jazz at Rockets, Sunday, April 14, 2019, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 2: Jazz at Rockets, Wednesday, April 17, 2019, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Rockets at Jazz, Saturday, April 20, 2019, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 4: Rockets at Jazz, Monday, April 22, 2019, 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 5: Jazz at Rockets, Wednesday, April 24, 2019 (If Necessary)
Game 6: Rockets at Jazz, Friday, April 26, 2019 (If Necessary)
Game 7: Jazz at Rockets, Sunday, April 28, 2019 (If Necessary)
Series Price at BookMaker.eu: Check Back Later
The injury to Paul cost the Rockets a chance at playing for the NBA title last season, and they enter this playoff season in good health, which makes them a force. Houston ended the regular season winning 20 of 24 games to climb into position for the No. 2 seed. Unfortunately, things didn’t go their way on the final day with a loss to OKC and others posting victories to knock them down to the fourth-seed.
Offensively the Rockets like to shoot three-pointers, and they shoot a lot of them. Houston ranked 10th in three-point percentage during the season making 35.6 percent, but their volume more than made up for the difference. The Rockets led the NBA in three attempts with an average of 45.4 per game, which was over seven attempts per game more than the next closest team. They also dropped over 16 triples a game, also the best number.
Harden is certainly the ring leader with 13.2 attempts and nearly five made threes per game, which led to his NBA-best 36.1 points per game average. But every player on the roster has the green light to launch triples. Twice the Rockets made 26 in a game to tie the NBA record before establishing a new mark with 27 makes in a late season romp over Phoenix.
The most important player for the Rockets in this series and the postseason, however, is going to be Clint Capela. Houston’s second half surge coincided with his return after missing time with a hand injury, and the defense stabilized over the final two months. Remember, the Rockets were one of the most efficient defensive teams last season.
The Jazz enter the series with a lot of confidence after another second-half surge lifted them to the 50-win mark. They won 18 of their last 24 games, but went just 1-2 in their last three, which has to be somewhat concerning. The season-ending loss to the Clippers saw a number of starters on the bench with minor ailments that coach Quin Snyder hopes are healed.
Donovan Mitchell was instrumental in leading Utah to a first-round upset of Oklahoma City last year and we saw his shooting percentage decline in his sophomore season. Mitchell picked up his play toward the end of the year and dropped 46 in a win over Denver in the final week of the season. Mitchell’s offense will be a key in keeping the Jazz in games. They were held to less than 100 points losing each of the final two regular season meetings and scored just 98.6 points per game in last year’s playoff loss.
Player to Watch
Harden is going get his points. However, the key for the Rockets advancing is Capela, who helped the team’s defense upon his return after the All-Star break. Capela is a fierce rim protector and will battle with Rudy Gobert in the block.
Utah is one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA and Capela will negate part of that advantage with his 12.7 boards per game. He also takes some heat off Harden, Eric Gordon and Paul by scoring nearly 17 points per game. Capela also plays nearly 34 minutes a night, which is second only to Harden on the Rockets.
Rockets vs. Jazz Free Picks
The only first round matchup of 50-win teams should be a good one, but Houston is the opponent Utah least wanted to face. The Rockets have had plenty of success against the Jazz in the past and dominated the last two regular season games with Harden and strong defense. Mitchell had his problems scoring the basketball and Capela zero-factors Gobert in the middle. The series will be a showcase for Paul, who wants redemption for himself and the team after his injury proved costly last year. Houston will also use homecourt advantage to advance to the next round.
Rockets vs. Jazz Series Pick: Rockets in 6 Games
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
