- 1 Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz: eight straight Jazz losses and a home back-to-back before the flight
- 2 Houston Rockets: a +9.0 point differential and an offense that’s gone cold for a week
- 3 Utah Jazz: 118.2 points allowed and two scorers listed as game-time decisions
- 4 Free NBA Prediction: Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About visuals
Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz: eight straight Jazz losses and a home back-to-back before the flight 
Utah hasn’t won since October 23. That night the Jazz beat New Orleans 120-119, and they’ve lost eight in a row since, two of them in overtime. They’re 1-9.
Houston is 7-3 and 4-1 at Toyota Center, second in the Southwest. The Rockets have dropped two straight, 117-107 at home to Minnesota and 102-99 in Phoenix, so this isn’t a team arriving in top gear.
The game tips Friday, November 13, at 8:30pm ET in Houston. It’s an NBA Cup group game and the first of four meetings this season.
The calendar does Utah no favors. The Jazz host Miami on Tuesday and Orlando on Wednesday, a home back-to-back, then get a single day off before traveling. Houston plays Denver on Monday and Golden State on Wednesday, both at home.
Houston has won four of the last five meetings. The last two came in Houston, 125-105 in February and 140-106 on April 3, and the Rockets scored 129 in a 28-point win in Salt Lake City in November 2025.
I don’t see what changes that pattern on Friday. I’d back Houston, and I’d back them to win comfortably.
Houston Rockets: a +9.0 point differential and an offense that’s gone cold for a week 
Houston scores 116.0 points and allows 107.0, a margin of +9.0 a game. The defense carried them through a 119-98 win over Oklahoma City and a 109-93 win over Boston on October 31 and November 2.
The last two games went the other way at the offensive end. Houston scored 107 against Minnesota and 99 in Phoenix, and lost both.
Alperen Sengun runs the offense with 21.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists. Kevin Durant adds 20.8 points and 5.7 rebounds, and Jabari Smith Jr. is at 17.3 and 6.4.
Amen Thompson averages 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds, and Fred VanVleet adds 13.4 points with 6.0 assists. Reed Sheppard (10.0), Tari Eason (9.4) and Marcus Smart (9.1) give Houston a rotation Utah can’t match.
Clint Capela (ankle) and Steven Adams (calf) were both listed out until at least November 9. Their status for Friday affects the depth up front, and Sengun and Smith have covered those minutes so far.
The early wins came with real margins. Houston beat Milwaukee 132-100 on October 28, and its three losses came by five in Dallas, by ten to Minnesota and by three in Phoenix.
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Utah Jazz: 118.2 points allowed and two scorers listed as game-time decisions 
Utah gives up 118.2 points a game and scores 106.9, a margin of -11.3 through nine games. Saturday’s 115-100 loss in Minnesota didn’t move those numbers much.
Keyonte George leads the team with 21.1 points and 6.4 assists, but he was listed as a game-time decision with an illness on November 8. Lauri Markkanen, at 18.0 points and 6.8 rebounds, was a game-time decision with a wrist problem a day earlier.
Jaren Jackson Jr. played four games, averaged 16.3 points and then hurt his knee. He’s out until at least December 14. Jusuf Nurkic (foot) is out until at least November 20.
That leaves a lot on rookies and young players. Darryn Peterson scores 14.8 with 3.9 assists, Ace Bailey adds 11.9 points and 6.6 rebounds, and Jaxson Hayes is at 8.6 and 6.3.
The close losses came early: 117-111 in overtime against San Antonio on October 28 and 120-113 in overtime in New Orleans on November 4. Since then Utah has lost by 12 in Dallas and 15 in Minnesota.
Portland won 112-90 in Salt Lake City on October 31 and San Antonio won 119-97 at home on November 2, both by 22 points. Houston’s last four wins over Utah all came by 20 points or more.
Probable lineup Houston Rockets: Not announced at time of publication
Probable lineup Utah Jazz: Not announced at time of publication
Free NBA Prediction: Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz
Our prediction: Houston Rockets to win by 11 points or more
Utah allows 118.2 a night and plays its third game in four days on Friday. Houston allows 107.0 a game and gets a full day of rest, and the Rockets have beaten the Jazz by 20 and 34 points in their last two meetings in Houston.
The worry is Houston’s own offense, which scored 99 and 107 in the two most recent games. I’m not convinced that lasts against a Jazz defense that has allowed 112 or more in each of its last six.
The straight Houston win will be priced well under 1.45, so the value sits in the margin. No lines were posted at the time of writing; I’d take an 11-point-plus Houston win at 1.45 or longer.
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