The Houston Rockets will host former teammate James Harden and the East-leading Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ve got the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet at Tipico Sportsbook.
The game tips off at 7 p.m. Central and can be viewed or streamed via AT&T SportsNet Southwest and NBA League Pass.
The Rockets (7-16) enter Wednesday’s game with plenty of momentum, as evidenced by their historic winning streak of six games immediately after a losing skid of 15 games. But the last four wins of Houston’s streak came against Oklahoma City twice, Orlando, and New Orleans, with all among the NBA’s worst five teams of the 2021-22 season by record.
By contrast, the next two opponents for the Rockets are the Nets (17-7) and the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks (17-9).
Some limited consolation for the Rockets could be that Brooklyn is on a back-to-back in two different cities, having played at Dallas on Tuesday. Houston hasn’t played since beating New Orleans on Sunday.
Nets at Rockets notable injuries:
The Rockets are again short-handed, with starting guards Kevin Porter Jr. (left thigh contusion) and Jalen Green (left hamstring strain) out indefinitely. Houston will also be missing veteran forward Danuel House Jr. (left ankle sprain), rookie forward Usman Garuba (right thigh contusion), and veteran guard John Wall, who has yet to play in any games this season as part of a mutual agreement over the offseason.
"I know people may be concerned about my minutes and I got injured before and all this extra s–t….But I might play 48 tomorrow, just cause, give you something to talk about."
-Kevin Durant on how many minutes he's been playing lately. pic.twitter.com/rpMV30LZCP
— DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) December 8, 2021
For Tuesday’s game, Brooklyn was without sharpshooter Joe Harris (left ankle surgery) and former All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who is not with the team due to a dispute over New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements. The Nets are not required to issue Wednesday’s status report until midday, since they are on a back-to-back.
Daniel Theis is listed as a projected starter in Houston’s game notes, since he started on Sunday. However, head coach Stephen Silas indicated that the arrangement was largely due to the Pelicans starting a burly big man in the form of Jonas Valančiūnas. With the Nets utilizing an athletic and less physical frontcourt, our suspicion is that Silas returns Christian Wood to center and opts for more shooting with Armoni Brooks.
The lines, courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook
- Point spread: Nets -6.5
- Money line: Nets -270 / Rockets +210
- Over-under: 226.5 points
Click here to place your bets at Tipico Sportsbook.
Advice and prediction
It’s hard to see the Rockets out-executing a team led by Harden and Kevin Durant if the game is close in the fourth quarter, particularly with both members of Houston’s expected starting backcourt sidelined.
Yet, the momentum for the Rockets is real, and the Toyota Center crowd should have a buzz factor for Harden’s first return visit with full-capacity attendance. It’s probably too much to expect Houston to win outright, but between the momentum, crowd, and some fatigue from Brooklyn being on a back-to-back, we’ll take the Rockets to cover.
Prediction: Nets 113, Rockets 108
This post originally appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
[lawrence-related id=58298,58331]
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO).
[listicle id=58223]