Half-time report
This contest is nothing like the tight 127-126 margin achieved in the Rockets’ victory over the Jazz in their previous head-to-head matchup in January. The Rockets are well ahead with an 85-55 lead over the Jazz.
The Rockets came into the game having won seven straight and are just two quarters back. Will they make it to the eighth, or will the Jazz step in and ruin it? We will know soon.
Who’s playing
Utah Jazz @Houston Rockets
Current records: Utah 29-41, Houston 34-35
How to watch
- When: Saturday March 23, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET
- Or: Toyota Center – Houston, TX
- TV: KJZZ-TV 14
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Online broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $22.49
What there is to know
The Jazz have quite a challenge ahead of them as they are expected to be kicked off the court. They will hit the road to face the Houston Rockets on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET at the Toyota Center. The Jazz enter the matchup hobbled by four straight losses, while the Rockets will enter the contest buoyed by seven straight wins.
It’s hard to win when your three-point shooting is 18 percent worse than the opposition’s, a fact the Jazz found out the hard way on Thursday. They suffered a 113-97 loss to Dallas.
Unsurprisingly, given the score, the Jazz struggled to get the ball on offense and finished the game with just five offensive rebounds. They are 1-3 when they can’t control their own glass like that.
Meanwhile, Houston managed to pull out a solid win against the Bulls on Thursday, winning the game 127-117.
The Rockets’ victory was a true team effort, with many players putting in strong performances. Perhaps the best of them was Dillon Brooks, who scored 23 points and two steals. Brooks didn’t help the Rockets’ cause much against the Wizards on Tuesday, but the same can’t be said for this game.
Utah’s loss was its ninth straight on the road, which dropped its record to 29-41. As for Houston, they have performed incredibly well recently as they have won nine of their last ten games, which was a nice improvement from their 34-35 record this season.
In this competition, the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: the Jazz have been smashing the glass this season, averaging 46.1 rebounds per game (they are ranked third in rebounds per game overall). However, it’s not like the Rockets (currently ranked fourth in rebounds per game) are struggling in this department as they average 46 rebounds per game. Given these competing forces, it will be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Jazz and Rockets were neck-and-neck in their previous matchup in January, but the Jazz came away empty-handed after a 127-126 loss. A big factor in the loss was the dominant performance of the Rockets’ Alperen Sengun, who had a double-double with 37 points and 14 rebounds. Now that the Jazz know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check CBSSports.com after the game to find out.
Odds
Houston is an 11-point favorite against Utah, according to the latest NBA Odds.
Oddsmakers had a good idea of the line for this one, as the game opened with the Rockets as 10.5-point favorites.
The over/under is 228.5 points.
See NBA Pick for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Utah has won 7 of its last 10 games against Houston.
- January 20, 2024 – Houston 127 vs. Utah 126
- January 5, 2023 – Utah 131 vs. Houston 114
- October 26, 2022 – Utah 109 vs. Houston 101
- October 24, 2022 – Houston 114 vs. Utah 108
- March 2, 2022 – Utah 132 vs. Houston 127
- February 14, 2022 – Utah 135 vs. Houston 101
- January 19, 2022 – Houston 116 vs. Utah 111
- October 28, 2021 – Utah 122 vs. Houston 91
- May 8, 2021 – Utah 124 vs. Houston 116
- April 21, 2021 – Utah 112 vs. Houston 89
