Rockets vs. Mavericks Pick
Can the Houston Rockets go a perfect 4-for-4 against the Dallas Mavericks this season when the two meet tonight at 8:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Rockets are favored on the road, as they are getting odds of -6.5 points against the Mavericks. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 210 points. Houston has won three straight in this series, all of which have taken place this season. Houston covered in two of the three meetings as well.
Houston is coming off a 131-115 win over Phoenix last night at home. The Rockets are now 23-9 on the year and 21-11 against the spread. They have been putting up big numbers on offense, scoring at least 100 points in 18 straight games. They now average 113.5 points per game on offense while giving up 106.4 points per game on defense. James Harden is putting up 27.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 11.9 assists per game to lead the Rockets while Eric Gordon is averaging 17.5 points per contest. Center Clint Capela is out for a few weeks with a leg injury. He was averaging 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game prior to the injury. Patrick Beverley, a strong defender and point guard, is questionable for tonight after injuring his thigh on Monday.
Dallas is coming off a 111-104 loss at New Orleans last night, but the Mavs have won and covered in two of their last three to move to 9-22 on the season and 14-17 against the spread. Dallas isn’t much of an offense, as the Mavs average just 94.4 points per game. Defensively, the team is giving up only 100 points per contest. Harrison Barnes is leading the team with 20.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. The Mavs have some depth issues as J.J. Barea (Achilles) is out, Andrew Bogut (knee) is doubtful and Dirk Nowitzki is questionable as he is returning from injury.
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Dallas has been playing better than usual as of late, but the Mavs just don’t have the scoring to keep up with this Houston team. Mike D’Antoni has the Rockets really clicking on offense and Harden has been one of the best in the league in 2016-17. Look for the Rockets to simply outscore the Mavs and cruise to a road cover.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: HOUSTON ROCKETS -6.5