Is Keyonte George Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Jazz vs. Rockets)

Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George has played in just one game in the month of February due to an ankle injury, but it appears he has a chance to suit up on Monday against the Houston Rockets.

George is listed as questionable for this matchup, as he's looking to play in his first game since Feb. 7. The former first-round pick played less than 14 minutes in that game, as it appears that he aggravated his ankle issue in a loss to the Orlando Magic.

Keyonte George (ankle) listed questionable for Monday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) February 22, 2026

Utah is just 3-6 when George is out of the lineup this season, but it's likely he'll be on a minutes restriction on Monday night even if he does return. Utah has been resting some of its best players -- like Lauri Markkanen -- in an effort to lose games and keep its top-eight protected pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

So, if George is coming back from injury, it's a perfect way for the Jazz to limit the minutes of one of their best players while avoiding potential backlash from the league.

This season, George has been a breakout star, averaging 23.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3. He had a strong month of January, averaging 23.2 points per game while shooting over 47 percent from the field.

Even with George potentially set to return tonight, oddsmakers have set the Jazz as 14.5-point road underdogs against Houston.

While I'd stay away from George in the prop market since his workload is up in the air, I do think there is a Jazz player worth targeting on Monday.

Best Utah Jazz Prop Bet vs. Rockets

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Lauri Markkanen OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (-133)

This season, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has shot the ball well from beyond the arc, knocking down 36.3 percent of his attempts while taking 7.7 per game.

While his numbers are going to fall if the Jazz continue to limit his minutes, that hasn’t been the case so far this month.

Markkanen has made two or more 3-pointers in five of his six appearances, including three games with at least three shots made from beyond the arc. The Jazz forward is still getting up a ton of attempts, taking 6.5 per game during this stretch.

That makes him an intriguing target at this discounted number on Monday, even though the Rockets rank in the top 10 in the NBA in both opponent 3-pointers made per game and opponent 3-point percentage.

I expect the Jazz star to knock down at least two shots from deep, something he’s done in 35 of his 41 games in the 2025-26 campaign.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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