The Rockets are laying a hefty 14 points here, but this game definitely has the potential to be a blowout. Houston have been in some strong form lately, winning 7 and covering 7 of their last 10 games.
They are one of the better home sides in the NBA, going 19-8 straight up, compared to just 9-19 on the road for the Knicks. They also look fairly healthy for this one, with Eric Gordon returning to the lineup last time out.
The Knicks, on the other hand, are dealing with a myriad of injuries in their backcourt. Ntilikina, Payton, and Ellington are all questionable here, which could really impact their ability to guard Westbrook and Harden.
With the Knicks season all but over, they just don’t have the incentive to go all out here. In a day with a real dearth of options, I’ll take my chances with Houston.
Despite a recent dip in form, I like the Jazz at home in this one. Although they’ve won just 4 of their last 10 overall, they’ve got a very strong 20-7 home record this season.
They look to be fully healthy here, with both Mike Conley and Ed Davis returning to the lineup last time out. Phoenix are dealing with a ton of injuries in the backcourt, which could result in a struggle to contain Rudy Gobert.
This is also somewhat of a contrarian play, with only 35% of punters backing Utah so far. That said, the reverse line movement from 7 to 7.5 suggests that this is the sharp side to take here.
Especially against a porous Phoenix defence, this has all the makings of a get right game for Utah. I’d expect solid performances from both Mitchell and Gobert to propel them to the win and cover.