Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for Friday’s game between the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets.

Tipping off as part of the nine-game Friday night NBA slate, the Utah Jazz will take on the Houston Rockets in a Western Conference clash.

This will mark the fourth and final matchup between these two Western Conference teams, who hold very different outlooks for the remainder of the season. They split a pair of back-to-back matchups on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 before Houston picked up a 125-105 win on Feb. 23.

The Rockets enter as 17.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Jazz sit as a +1000 underdog. The game total is set at 223.5 points.

Let’s dive into my preview and prediction for this Friday night matchup.

Jazz vs. Rockets preview, prediction

The Jazz hold a 21-56 record this season, sitting at 14th place in the Western Conference. They enter this matchup on a seven-game losing streak and have lost 11 of their last 12. With the franchise looking ahead, it seems content limping to the finish line to bolster its draft lottery odds. Utah has gone 40-37 against the spread and cleared the over in 45 of 77 games.

A loaded injury report is a common occurrence for this Jazz team, and the trend continues Friday night. Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George, Jusuf Nurkic, Walker Kessler, Elijah Harkless, and Isaiah Collier will all remain out against Houston. With so many players on the sidelines, expect young talent Kyle Filipowski, Brice Sensabaugh, and Ace Bailey to lead the charge for Utah.

Utah is scoring 117.3 points per game, which ranks ninth in the NBA. The Jazz also sit third in pace, 20th in offensive rating, 16th in field-goal percentage, and 25th in three-point percentage. On defense, they rank dead last in points allowed, 29th in defensive rating, 28th in opponent field-goal percentage, and 27th in opponent three-point percentage.

The Rockets sit fifth in the West with a 47-29 record. They enter this game on a four-game winning streak and have won six of their last eight. Houston is 34-44 against the spread and has fallen under the game total in 42 of 78 games.

Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams remain sidelined for the Rockets. Kevin Durant headlines the production, averaging 25.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Alperen Sengun adds 20.6 points while leading the team with 8.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.1 blocks. Amen Thompson pitches in 17.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists of his own. Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard, and Tari Eason each play key roles, as well.

The Rockets are scoring 114.4 points per game, which ranks 20th in the NBA. They also sit ninth in offensive rating, 11th in field-goal percentage, and eighth in three-point efficiency. Defensively, Houston ranks fourth in points allowed, sixth in defensive rating, sixth in opponent field-goal percentage, and eighth in opponent three-point percentage.

Jazz vs. Rockets prediction, best bet

These are two teams trending in opposite directions, and with far different goals for the remainder of the season. However, 17.5 points feels like too wide a spread for my liking.

The Rockets want to finish strong, but have struggled to blow out inferior opponents. They’re just 14-23 against the spread at home this season, and have failed to cover in nine of their last 12 contests. They’ve been favored by 17.5 points once once this season, failing to cover that spread against the Bucks.

Meanwhile, Utah’s youthful roster, motivated to cement itself in the league, continues to play hard and keep things competitive in the absence of several top players. The Jazz are 40-37 ATS this season and have covered in three of their last four games, including two straight. The squad has covered the spread in three of the four games in which they were underdogs by 17.5 points or greater.

The Rockets coasted to a 28-point win in their first matchup with Utah this season before the Jazz answered with an eight-point win of their own. Houston won the most recent matchup by 20 points. Utah has covered the spread in two of the three matchups.

Expect Utah’s young core to keep things competitive against a Rockets team that plays with its food far too often.

Best Bet: Utah Jazz +17.5 (-108)