The NBA season will continue on Monday night. The Houston Rockets will hit the road and take on the Boston Celtics. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Rockets-Celtics prediction and pick.
These two teams have had very different starts to the season. The Houston Rockets are an abysmal 1-15 and leading the race for the worst team in the NBA. The Boston Celtics are 9-8, and are coming off back to back victories. This should be a very interesting match up.
Here are the odds for the Rockets-Celtics Monday night NBA matchup, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Rockets-Celtics Odds
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Houston Rockets: +11.5 (-114)
Boston Celtics: -11.5 (-106)
Over: 213 (-110)
Under: 213 (-110)
Why The Rockets Could Cover The Spread
The Houston Rockets are quite possibly the worst team in the NBA. Through 16 regular season games they only have one win. However, not all of their losses were blowouts. In their last game, the Rockets were defeated by the Knicks and lost by 7. While their may not be many points of optimism for this Rockets team, there is still reason to believe that they could cover this extremely wide spread. Houston is young and aggressive and if the right combination of factors come together on Monday, they could be competitive in this game.
One of the best players on this Rockets team is Christian Wood. Wood has clearly emerged as one of the most talented big men in the league. In their loss to New York, Wood put up 18 points and grabbed 12 boards. This is not an atypical outing. Wood is averaging over 16 points and 11 rebounds a game. While these aren't the numbers of the leader of a top NBA team, they are still extremely good. Christian Wood has the ability to impact games and to keep Houston competitive. If he can kick things up a notch they might stay in this one.
Another bright spot for the Rockets has been the development of their rookie, Jalen Green. Green was selected with the second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and has already proven that he was a good pick. The young guard had 16 points against the Knicks and is averaging over 14 points a game. Sometimes rookies have a big adjustment period to the NBA, but not Jalen Green. Green has had an immediate impact for Houston and will look to continue his success on Monday.
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
The Boston Celtics have had an underwhelming start to the season. For a team with so much talent and potential, they barely have a winning record through 17 games. The Celtic are coming off a 6 point victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. This was a game that Boston should have won by a healthier margin, but still, a win's a win. The Celtics will need to hit shots in this game if they are to cover the wide spread. While Houston may be a weak opponent, no NBA team should be taken lightly. The Celtics are more than capable of dismantling the worst team in the league.
Leading the way for Boston is Jayson Tatum. Tatum has quickly become one of the best offensive players in the league. He is the focal point of this Celtics team and for good reason. Against the Thunder, Tatum dropped 33 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists. On the season he's averaging over 25 points and nearly 9 rebounds a game. If anyone is going to lead the charge for Boston it's going to be Tatum. Expect another big night from the Celtics star and get ready for what should be a third straight win for Boston.
Another bright spot has emerged for Boston, and his name is Dennis Schroder. In Jaylen Brown's absence, Dennis Schroder has absolutely balled out. Against the Thunder he had 29 points and 6 assists. Schroder is averaging just shy of 18 points a game and has been a big part of this Celtics team. Jaylen Brown is listed as probable heading into this Rockets match up, so either way Boston fans should feel confident. If Brown returns then the Celtics get their second best player back. If he doesn't play, Schroder has already proven that he can pick up the slack.
Final Rockets-Celtics Prediction & Pick
The spread is extremely wide in this game and for good reason. The Rockets have really just been awful this season. Even with the Celtics underperforming, Boston is a much better team. Anything can happen on any given night but the Celtics should be able to cover this one. If Jaylen Brown returns tonight, that will have a tremendous impact on the margin by which the Celtics win. Brown is listed as probable, so just side with the winning team on this one. Pick the Celtics to win and cover and get ready for a big mismatch.
FINAL ROCKETS-CELTICS PICK: Boston Celtics -11.5 (-106)
FINAL ROCKETS-CELTICS SCORE PREDICTION: Celtics 120 – Rockets 102
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