Thursday’s matchup between the Houston Rockets and visiting Portland Trail Blazers will effectively be strength on strength and weakness versus weakness. Led by Damian Lillard, who ranks third in the NBA in scoring (28.7 points per game), the Blazers will test Houston’s improving defense with the league’s No. 6 unit in net offensive rating.
Since trading superstar guard James Harden, Houston’s defense has ranked No. 3 overall, and they allowed just 36 points in the entire second half during Tuesday’s impressive victory over Washington.
On the other hand, Houston’s offense — which is among the bottom 10 in the NBA since the Harden trade — will be going up against a Portland squad with the second-worst net defensive rating on the season. The Blazers have especially struggled since having to replace starting center Jusuf Nurkic (out indefinitely due to a fractured wrist) with veteran Enes Kanter, who has long been viewed as a defensive liability.
That could provide a prime opportunity for Christian Wood, who is returning to the Rockets after missing three games with a right ankle sprain. In addition to Nurkic, Blazers will be missing another big defensive piece in forward Robert Covington, who is out with a concussion.
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The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
- Point spread: Rockets -4.5 (-110), Blazers +4.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Rockets -190/Blazers +150
- Over-under: 228.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
- Player O/U Scoring Props: Damian Lillard 32.5 (-115 O, -105 U), Carmelo Anthony 16.5 (-105 O, -120 U), Enes Kanter 13.5 (+100 O, -130 U); Christian Wood 21.5 (-105 O, -120 U), Victor Oladipo 20.5 (-115 O, -110 U), PJ Tucker 5.5 (+100 O, -125 U)
Place your legal, online sports bets in CO, IN, MI, NV, NJ, PA, TN, and WV at BetMGM.
From NBA.com’s game notes, projected starters for Portland (9-7) are Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., Derrick Jones Jr., Carmelo Anthony, and Enes Kanter. Meanwhile, Houston (7-9) is listing John Wall, Victor Oladipo, Jae’Sean Tate, PJ Tucker and Christian Wood.
The Blazers are now missing three of their planned starters for the 2020-21 season, with guard CJ McCollum out indefinitely due to a left foot fracture. McCollum scored 44 points and hit the game-winning shot against the Rockets during a 128-126 overtime thriller last month.
Advice and prediction
While the Rockets have slumped offensively since trading Harden, health has played a role in those numbers. Wall missed five games with left knee soreness, Oladipo sat out two while the trade was being finalized and missed a third for planned maintenance during a back-to-back sequence, and Wood was held out of three with his ankle sprain.
But all three are back in the lineup now, and the rare opportunity to start may have also helped veterans Eric Gordon and DeMarcus Cousins get in better rhythm. Gordon has scored 20 or more points in five straight games, while Cousins averaged 17.3 points (40.9% on 3-pointers), 14.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game as a starter in place of Wood.
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If those two can hold that form as reserves, the Rockets should have a deep supporting cast, allowing them to gradually improve their rankings on offense. To that end, Thursday’s game versus a struggling Trail Blazers defense seems to offer a great opportunity. It could also be a big scoring night for Wood against the clear deficiencies of Kanter.
Prediction: 114-108, Rockets
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