Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 1/19/2022

Time: 9 p.m. ET

Venue: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT

Where to watch: ATTSN-RM, ATTSN-SW

DraftKings: Jazz -12

WynnBet: Jazz -11.5

Caesars: NL

Rockets: 13-32 (Last place, Western Conference)

Jazz: 29-15 (4th place, Western Conference)

It has not been an ideal time for the Utah Jazz since the turn of the new year, but I like for the Jazz to get back on track Wednesday when they return home to face the Houston Rockets.

The Jazz have lost five of six, which is already wild after going 26-9 through the first 35 games and to end the 2021 calendar year. Since then, the Jazz are 3-6 and have to go through some injury issues, primarily Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

The Jazz big man has since returned from COVID protocol, but Mitchell will miss at least the next two games as the All-Star guard was placed in concussion protocol. Mitchell played 37 minutes in Utah's 101-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, but finished 6 of 19 shooting for 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. 

"I thought we had too many really tough shots," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said after his team was held to just 36.9 percent shooting. "I think some of the shots are makable but we made it harder on ourselves than it needed to be as far as making better reads and moving the ball quicker and generating some better shots. I think that showed."

The Jazz have been a mediocre team on the books before their slide, but the past six games have seen them take a dive. Utah is 1-5 against the spread in the last six with the only win being a 125-102 victory against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday as 5.5-point favorites.

Part of me wants to feel it's an accomplishment that the Jazz were even able to lose by only two possessions to a struggling Lakers team on the second night of a back-to-back, but it's also a struggling Lakers team that doesn't even do it for anyone right now.

The Jazz are just 8-14 against the spread at home this season and only 47-45 over the past three seasons. That kind of run is not ideal, not as great as the 70-25 mark the Jazz have put together straight up over the past three seasons. While Utah may be three games below .500 in the ATS column as a favorite, the Jazz are 28-13 outright.

And for Utah's troubles, the Jazz take on a Rockets team that has won two of three but 12 of 15 overall. The Rockets are coming off a split at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, winning the latter 118-112 led by a double-double of 23 points and 14 rebounds from Christian Wood.

"We were ready to play tonight," Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. "We're not a playoff team yet but when we are this is what it's going to look like. We're trying to learn as many lessons as we can. I was proud of them for that."

At least the Rockets' numbers aren't any better; they're just 15-24 as an underdog against the spread while going 12-13 ATS on the road. 

It almost seems dangerous to take the Jazz without Mitchell in the lineup at that line, but I think the Jazz are in need of a dominant Gobert game and to get something going as far as the winning streaks go. Jazz by 15

The Rockets are 0-4 ATS in their last four following an ATS win.

The Rockets are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 after scoring 100 or more the previous game.

The Jazz are 0-7-1 ATS in their last eight home games.

The Rockets are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings in Utah.

PG: Kevin Porter Jr.

SG: Jalen Green
SF: Eric Gordon
PF: Jae'Sean Tate
C: Christian Wood

PG: Mike Conley

SG: Joe Ingles
SF: Bojan Bogdanovic
PF: Royce O'Neale
C: Rudy Gobert

Rockets: None

Jazz: Donovan Mitchell (concussion, out)