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The Houston Rockets will travel to Inglewood, California, to face the Los Angeles Clippers. It will be a battle at the Intuit Dome as we share our NBA odds series and make a Rockets-Clippers prediction and pick.
The Rockets lead the head-to-head series 127-91. Amazingly, it will be the third meeting of the season between the teams, as they already played a two-game set in Houston. The Rockets won both games, taking the first game 111-103 and the second game 125-104. Significantly, they have won three games in a row. The Clippers are 7-3 over the past 10 games against the Rockets, including 4-1 in the past five games at their former home, Crypto.com arena. This will be the Rockets' first visit to the Intuit Dome.
Here are the Rockets-Clippers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Rockets-Clippers Odds
Houston Rockets: -2 (-112)
Moneyline: -134
Los Angeles Clippers: +2 (-108)
Moneyline: +116
Over: 216.5 (-110
Under: 216.5 (-110)
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Why the Rockets Could Cover the Spread/Win
Despite being a good team, the Rockets still lost their 15th straight game against the Golden State Warriors. They seem to have everything figured out except for beating the Warriors. They will continue their three-game California road trip by facing the Clippers at Intuit Dome. Ultimately, they hope to start playing consistently on offense.
The Rockets are 13th in points, but their shooting is poor. They are 27th in field-goal shooting percentage, including 26th from beyond the three-point line. Also, the Rockets are 23rd from the charity stripe. The Rockets are the monsters of the boards, as they are currently the best in the NBA in rebounds. Additionally, they handle basketball rather well, ranking fifth in turnovers. The defense is also stout, as the Rockets are sixth in blocked shots.
Jalen Green is this team's best scorer, averaging 19 points per game. However, his shooting has been poor, hitting just 39.6 percent from the floor. Alperen Sengun is averaging 18.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Additionally, he is shooting 47.3 percent from the floor. Fred VanVleet has been solid, averaging 16 points per game. Yet, he is also struggling to consistently hit his shot, making 39.1 percent of his chances. Dillon Brooks is averaging 12.5 points per game in a secondary role. Meanwhile, second-year man Amen Thompson is averaging 11.5 points per game.
The Rockets will cover the spread if they can continually convert their shooting chances. Then, they must do well at the free-throw line.
Why the Clippers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Clippers suffered a massive loss when Terance Mann fractured his finger and will be out indefinitely. Losing a critical guy off the bench will hurt them, especially with a team that already is dealing with injuries and not having the full depth of their lineup.
The Clippers are just 24th in points. They are also 14th in field-goal shooting percentage, including 11th from the triples. The Clippers' shooting of free throws has been inconsistent, as they rank 16th in free-throw shooting percentage. Likewise, they are above average on the boards, ranking ninth in rebounds. Holding onto the basketball has been tough, as they are 24th in turnovers. Likewise, blocking shots has been difficult as they rank 26th in that category.
Kawhi Leonard has yet to play this season, dealing with a serious knee injury. It seems like standard procedure for the Clippers, as he has seemingly missed more games than he could have played since joining them. Meanwhile, P.J. Tucker is dealing with a personal issue, and Norman Powell is getting rest. Kevin Porter Jr. has an ankle injury.
This leaves the Clippers with James Harden, who is heavily inconsistent, and Ivica Zubac, who is not scoring. The Clippers need these two to step up their game a little. Derrick Jones Jr. must also level up to give the Clips a chance. Likewise, Amir Coffey must continue to do well as he is averaging 10.2 points per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor, including 43 percent from beyond the arc.
The Clippers will cover the spread if they can shoot the ball well and hold onto the basketball. Then, they must prevent the Rockets from getting second chances.
Final Rockets-Clippers Prediction & Pick
The Rockets are 15-8 against the spread, while the Clippers are 16-8 against the odds. Moreover, the Rockets are 6-5 against the spread on the road, while the Clippers are 9-5 against the odds at home. The Rockets are 9-6 against the spread when facing the Western Conference, while the Clippers are 12-6 against the odds when facing the West. While the Clippers are dealing with some issues, they have done better against the Rockets at home. I can see them coming back strong.
Final Rockets-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Clippers: +2 (-108)
