Can you feel the intensity? The urgency among NBA squads around the country is at an all-time high, and with good reason. With only a handful of games remaining, what teams will help their seeding chances with some much-needed wins down the stretch, and who will find themselves falling behind the pack? The Houston Rockets will look to play the part of spoiler as they head to the Big Apple to face off with the underachieving Brooklyn Nets. It is time to check out our NBA odds series, where our Rockets-Nets prediction and pick will be revealed.

 

Houston comes into play at 20-59 overall, including a woeful road record at 9-30. The Rockets most recent game saw them go down in defeat at the hands of Minnesota 139-132. If there was a silver lining, it was that the Rockets managed to erupt for 132 points and even covered the spread in doing so.

The Brooklyn Nets enter Tuesday losers in three of their previous four contests, including a tough blow on the road in Atlanta by a score of 122-115. The Nets have already clinched a play-in berth, and are looking at simply improving their seeding and fighting to avoid an elimination game in the #10 vs #9 seed matchup. Brooklyn is one of the rare teams in the league that has struggled at home compared to out on the road, as the Nets have disappointed their home crown at Barclays Arena more often than not with a 17-21 record.

Here are the Rockets-Nets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

NBA odds: Rockets-Nets Odds

Houston Rockets: +17 (-110)

Brooklyn Nets: -17 (-110)

Over: 244.5 (-110)

Under: 244.5 (-110)

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Why The Rockets Could Cover the Spread

After facing multiple deficits of at least 2o points respectively, the Rockets battled back against the Timberwolves in impressive fashion, ultimately losing by seven points at home. Houston has been a much better team in covering the spread than what you would think, compiling a record of 33-45, which is miles ahead of their dreadful overall mark that has them nearly 40 games below .500.

The 2021-2022 season has been lost for quite some time in the Magnolia City, which was expected for a team that has been hit with a massive rebuilding phase and contain a good amount of youthfulness on its roster. Indeed, the Rockets have mustered up only 20 wins on the season and there's a chance they may not even get their 21st, but Houston is playing hard each night out in games that are considered meaningless.

Rookie Jalen Green has been a bright spot for the Rockets, as he has contributed four straight games of at least 30 points. With Eric Gordon, Christian Wood, and Dennis Schroder all shut down for the remainder of the season, it will be up to Green to carry the load and attempt to pull off an upset in Brooklyn.

Why The Nets Could Cover the Spread

This should be an obvious one, but the Brooklyn Nets on paper are a much more talented squad than Houston is. However, the 2021-2022 Nets have been unpredictable at times and have sometimes lost to lesser teams that have left many scratching their heads. When Brooklyn's poor play has reared its ugly head, things have not been pretty at all, to say the least.

With the Nets finally appearing to be fully healthy and determined to make it out of the play-in tournament as either the seven or eighth seed in the playoffs, this is a game that Brooklyn needs to dominate in. After Kevin Durant went berserk and played one of the best games in his hall of fame career by dropping a career-high in points with 55, don't be surprised if the Rockets are shaking in their boots. Not to mention, Kyrie Irving can finally play in home games! Irving still remains a top-five point guard in the NBA when healthy, and the duo of himself and Durant is as good of a one-two punch than anyone in the league.

Brooklyn's latest epic debacle against the Hawks saw the Nets commit 29 fouls, which was a season-high and supplied Atlanta with free-throw attempts galore. The Nets have also not been taking care of the basketball, and have been losing the turnover margin versus other teams, which is no question a recipe for losing basketball. To avoid a massive letdown on Tuesday night versus one of the worst teams the NBA has to offer, the Nets have to play with more focus and intensity. The sloppiness has been an ongoing theme for quite some time, and something needs to be changed prior to postseason play.

Final Rockets-Nets Prediction & Pick

17 points is a huge number under NBA circumstances. Even with how bad the Rockets have been and with the Nets being the better overall team on paper, it would be unwise to put so much trust in a Brooklyn squad that has had trouble staying consistent of late. Take the Rockets and the points, especially with the Nets' inability to win home games.

Final Rockets-Nets Pick: Rockets +17 (-110)