The Portland Trail Blazers (17-24) visit the Houston Rockets (26-13) Wednesday for a 9:30 p.m. ET tip-off at Toyota Center. We analyze Trail Blazers-Rockets odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
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Trail Blazers at Rockets: Key injuries
Trail Blazers
- SF Mario Hezonja (back) questionable
- PF Skal Labissiere (knee) out
- C Jusuf Nurkic (leg) out
- SG Rodney Hood (Achilles) out
- PF Zach Collins (shoulder) out
Rockets
- SG Gerald Green (foot) out
- C Nene Hilario (groin) out
Trail Blazers at Rockets: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Rockets 118, Blazers 112
Moneyline (ML)
This is an easy PASS on the moneyline because the Blazers +310 have lost five of their previous six games in Houston so the +310 isn’t high enough to back them for an outright win. The Rockets -400 is bad value, plus, they have lost two of their last three games with both of the losses coming by double-digits.
The Rockets blistered the Blazers, 132-108, in their first meeting this season, keyed by PG Russell Westbrook‘s 30-plus-point triple-double. It was the Rockets’ first chance for revenge after the Blazers and PG Damian “Logo” Lillard knocked them out of the playoffs last season with a walk-off three. Also, the home/road splits of the two make it difficult to back the Blazers (the only moneyline worth betting in this matchup); Portland is 8-14 straight up on the road and the Rockets are 14-4 at home.
Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
Truth be told, we are bucking trends in Blazers-Rockets’ betting narratives and taking the BLAZERS (+8.5, -106) to stay within 8 points in a loss. Portland is one of the most disappointing teams thus far in 2019-20 and its against the spread record confirms that; the Blazers have the second-worst ATS record in the NBA at 15-24-2. The Trail Blazers are 0-4 when getting 7.5-9.5 points but the Rockets are only 4-4 when favored by as much.
However, and stop me if you heard this before, but today’s game could be a revenge game. Revenge of Carmelo Anthony, who was traded following a boring 10-game stint with the Rockets last season. ‘Melo should be able to get his against a Rockets team allowing the seventh-most points per game to power forwards. That, plus the Blazers seeking revenge after taking a whooping from the Rockets in the first game. We’ll get a motivated Blazers team still hanging around the playoff race as the 10-seed and are only two games behind the 8-seed Memphis Grizzlies.
Over/Under (O/U)
LEAN, not like, UNDER 236.5 (-115) because of the reduced juice, Blazers-Rockets head-to-head trend (the Over is 15-6 in the last 21 meetings in Houston) and both teams being below average in defensive rating. Furthermore, their combined Over/Under record in games against conference opponents is 26-23.
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