Clippers vs. Rockets Pick
Will the Houston Rockets pick up another big home win on Friday night when they host the Los Angeles Clippers at 8PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Rockets are favored at home, as they are getting odds of -5.5 points against the Clippers. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 222 points. Los Angeles has won two straight meetings with the Rockets, covering the spread in both contests.
The Rockets are on a two-game win streak following a 123-107 OT win over the Mavericks back on Dec. 27. Houston has won eight of its last 10 to move to 24-9 overall and the Rockets are an impressive 22-11 against the spread this season. Houston remains one of the top offensive teams in the NBA by averaging 113.8 points per game while giving up 106.4 points per contest on defense. James Harden is putting up MVP-type numbers this far by averaging 27.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 11.9 assists per game under Mike D’Antoni. Eric Gordon is adding 17.4 points per game.
The Clippers are in a bit of a funk right now, as they have lost four straight to fall to 22-12 on the season. Los Angeles has only covered in one of those four games and is now 16-18 against the spread. Losing Blake Griffin hasn’t helped much, as he is out for multiple weeks with a knee injury. J.J. Redick also comes into tonight questionable with a hamstring injury. Still, the Clippers average 108.4 points per game on offense. Griffin was putting up a team-high 21.2 points per game before the injury. Chris Paul is now leading the offense. He is averaging 17.7 points and 9.5 assists per contest.
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The injuries to the Clippers are starting to have their negative impact as the team just hasn’t been the same without Griffin. It will be tough for the Clippers to go on the road and keep an offensive pace with this Houston team, which is clicking on all cylinders under D’Antoni. Look for Houston to keep the winning ways going with another cover.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: HOUSTON ROCKETS -5.5