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Posted at 5:00 PM EST.

9:00 PM EST. The Jazz were rolling but had their 11-game win streak snapped in a nearly 20-point loss to Portland two games ago. Utah followed up that defeat with a 97-90 victory over Dallas but did not cover the 10-point spread. That was the fourth game in a row the Jazz failed to cash a ticket and in turn might make them look like an easy target tonight against the first place team in the Association.

The Rockets are the hottest team in the NBA after polishing off the Nuggets last night for their 12th straight victory. What might be more impressive is that Houston has won 16 of its last 17 games. The average margin of victory during its run of a dozen W's is 13½-points, yet oddsmakers chose to make the Rockets just a 4½-point favorite in yesterday's 119-114 win over the Nuggets. While the win and cover were surely celebrated by a market that was all over Houston, the reality is that the Rockets rode a 13-point first quarter lead all the way to the finish line. It would have been easy for the books to post a similar number tonight. But they didn’t. Why? Houston is now spotting less than a trey against a team it has already pounded three times this season. That small number is going to be hard to pass up. One pick seller said it best, "I'm not sure how anyone can turn down the small chalk with the way the Houston Rockets are playing". There are over and under-reactions in sports and there are curious lines. This one fits the latter and the line says the dog is extremely live and will likely win outright.  

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