The Houston Rockets will face the Los Angeles Clippers in a Western Conference battle. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Rockets-Clippers prediction and pick.

A couple of years ago, this game would have been a matchup of two of the most exciting teams in the West. Unfortunately, that isn't the case anymore. The Rockets have entered a huge rebuilding stage, as shown by their 15-42 record. The Clippers haven't had as hard of a fall from grace, as they've managed to keep themselves in playoff contention with a 29-31 record. They're slated to make the play-in tournament as of now, but this game is a huge opportunity to get another win and continue to push up in the standings.

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Here are the Rockets-Clippers NBA odds, courtesy 0f FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Rockets-Clippers Odds

Houston Rockets: +11 (-110)

Los Angeles Clippers: -11 (-110)

Over: 229.5 (-114)

Under: 229.5 (-106)

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Why The Rockets Could Cover The Spread

The Rockets have been one of the poorest defensive teams in the NBA this season, but luckily they'll be going up against an equally bad offensive team. The Clippers rank inside the bottom ten in the league in almost every single important offensive stat, including effective field goal percentage, shooting percentage, and field goals made per game. Los Angeles also only scores 106 points per game, the fifth-worst number in the NBA.

This is one of the biggest spreads the Clippers have faced this year. Los Angeles has only been favored by more than seven points four times this season, and they're 1-3 against the spread in those games. Meanwhile, the Rockets are 4-2 in their last six games facing a spread similar to this one. Covering an eleven-point spread is a lot to ask of any team, especially a Clippers squad that hasn't been particularly impressive so far.

Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread

While Los Angeles has been a poor offensive unit, their defense has been downright elite. They allow 106 points per game, but their other defensive numbers are absolutely fantastic. The Clippers rank inside the top ten in the entire league in shooting percentage allowed, shooting efficiency allowed, and effective field goal percentage allowed. The Rockets have been absolutely abysmal on offense, so this should be a great game for the Los Angeles defense.

There's a possibility that the Rockets will be playing without two of their most important players. Starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr. and starting center Christian Wood are both questionable for this contest, and missing them would be devastating to an already-poor Houston team. Wood leads the team in points per game and rebounds per game, while Porter Jr. leads them in assists per game. If those two are forced to miss this game, the Clippers are essentially a lock to cover an 11-point spread.

Final Rockets-Clippers Prediction & Pick

The Clippers are a pretty clear-cut pick here. They have a huge edge when they're on defense in addition to having a huge talent advantage. Lock in Los Angeles here.

Final Rockets-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Clippers: -11 (-110)