<p>A lot is expected of the Houston Rockets this season, with many touting them as a potential dark horse to be the next NBA champions. You can get them at odds of 15.00 in <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-us/nba-futures/nba-futures-2026-9324399">our futures market</a>, offering potential value.&nbsp;</p> <p>In contrast, the Utah Jazz are at the other end of the odds, and they only have an extremely long shot at winning the championship.</p> <p>The two teams will meet as part of their regular-season preparations in a game to be played at Houston’s Toyota Center on Thursday, October 9, at 10:00 AEST.</p> <h2>Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz: Betting Preview</h2> <p>What makes the Houston Rockets exciting is the blend of experience and youth that the team possesses. They have a young group of players that forms their core, with Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson among the leading stars. In the offseason, they managed to acquire a future Hall of Famer in Kevin Durant, following an NBA-record seven-team trade.</p> <p>KD will be a player that many will keep an eye on for his points scoring, as this could make him a popular prop bet throughout the season; whether he has minutes in preseason remains to be seen.</p> <p>For the Jazz, Ace Bailey is going to be a player to keep an eye on, with the rookie among the most exciting to enter the league this season. We’d expect him to get some minutes in this game, as he adjusts to life on the court as an NBA player.</p> <p>Lauri Markkanen is the star of the show for the team, as he is the team's leading scorer and primary offensive option. He had an All-Star-calibre performance last season and will be of interest in this one.</p> <p>The two teams have been involved in a relatively competitive rivalry over the years, with the Jazz holding 106 wins. The Rockets have 105 victories across the 221 regular-season encounters. The results in their recent matches perhaps tell a different story:</p> <ul> <li>April 2, 2025: Rockets 143 - Jazz 105 (Rockets won)</li> <li>March 27, 2025: Rockets 121 - Jazz 110 (Rockets won)</li> <li>February 22, 2025: Jazz 124 - Rockets 115 (Jazz won)</li> <li>October 7, 2024: Jazz 122 - Rockets 113 (Jazz won)</li> <li>April 11, 2024: Jazz 124 - Rockets 121 (Jazz won)</li> </ul> <h2>Rockets vs Jazz: Betting Predictions</h2> <p>With how the two teams are set up and how they’ve been experiencing contrasting seasons, the Houston Rockets would be our pick in this match. Take a look at our <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-us/nba-preseason-matches">NBA preseason match betting odds</a> page to find those available.</p> <p>We would consider the spread bet (handicap) for this game if looking to find additional value in the betting. The Rockets have won by large margins in the last two games, while four of the last five have finished by at least 9+ points.</p>