The Houston Rockets travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Monday night at 7:00 PM ET. Can the Rockets cover the 5-point spread as road underdogs? Keep reading for our Rockets vs. Cavaliers betting prediction.
The Houston Rockets are 13-10 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 15-6-2 ATS this season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are 14-12 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 11-13-2 ATS this season.
Rockets vs. Cavaliers Matchup & Betting Odds
501 Houston Rockets (+5) at 502 Cleveland Cavaliers (-5); o/u 213.5
7:00 p.m. ET, Monday, December 18, 2023
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Cleveland, OH
Rockets vs. Cavaliers Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 59% of public bettors are currently backing the Rockets when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Houston Rockets Daily Fantasy Spin
Rockets forward Amen Thompson missed Sunday night’s road clash with the Bucks due to an illness. He’s officially listed as questionable for Monday’s road tilt with Cleveland. Thompson is averaging 5.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in 5 games of action for Houston on the campaign.
Houston point guard Fred VanVleet was great in his team’s 128-119 road loss to Milwaukee on Sunday night. The Wichita State alum logged 22 points, 6 assists, 4 made three-pointers, and 2 blocked shots. VanVleet made 8 of 16 shots from the field and sunk both of his free throw attempts in the defeat.
Cleveland Cavaliers Daily Fantasy Spin
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland (jaw), power forward Evan Mobley (knee), and shooting guard Ty Jerome (ankle) will all sit out Monday’s home date with the Rockets. Garland is second on the club in scoring with 20.7 points per game and leads the team in assists with 5.9 dimes per game on the season.
Evan Mobley is the team’s top rebounder with 10.5 boards per game and ranks third on the team in scoring with 16.0 points per game this year. Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro saw increased playing time due to the absence of Mobley and Garland on Saturday, and they should continue to see minutes while those two are out of the lineup.
Rockets vs. Cavaliers NBA Betting Trends
Cleveland is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against Houston.
Houston is 1-2 ATS in non-conference games this season.
Cleveland is 2-1 ATS with the rest advantage this season.
The Cavaliers are 7-6-1 ATS when playing on 1 day of rest this season.
Rockets vs. Cavaliers NBA Prediction:
Houston is playing in Cleveland on the second night of a back-to-back on Monday. The Rockets had a game in Memphis on Friday night, so Monday will mark their third road game in four nights. Houston could be dragging a bit once the ball goes up in Rocket Morgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland played their first game without the services of Darius Garland at home against Atlanta on Saturday night. The Cavs came out triumphant with a 127-119 home win. Cleveland out-rebounded Atlanta 49-34 overall in that game, and the Cavs grabbed 18 offensive rebounds to Atlanta’s 6. Because of the way the Cavs’ roster is constructed, they may trot out some bigger lineups against Houston. Those bigger lineups could lead to more second-chance opportunities as the Rockets could be gassed from the first two games of their road trip. The public is on the Rockets, but I’m not. I’m laying the points with the streamlined Cavaliers at home on Monday.
