The Washington Wizards (30-40) visit the Toyota Center Monday to take on the Houston Rockets (17-54). Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Wizards vs. Rockets odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
The Wizards are coming off a win over the LeBron James-led Lakers. With the 127-119 win, Washington ended a 6-game losing streak. It is led by F Kristaps Porzingis, who the Wiz acquired before the 2022 trade deadline.
The Wizards are in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, 4.5 games out of 10th place. Washington has covered 2 straight games and has a 27-41-2 against the spread (ATS) record on the season.
As for the Rockets, they were blown out (122-98) by the Memphis Grizzlies who sit second in the Western Conference Sunday.
Houston is the worst team in the conference, yet it is 10-24 straight up at home. The Rockets are led by C Christian Wood, who is averaging 17.9 points per game. On the season, the Rockets are just 28-41-1 ATS.
Wizards at Rockets odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Wizards -205 (bet $205 to win $100) | Rockets +165 (bet $100 to win $165)
- Against the spread (ATS): Wizards -4.5 (-122) | Rockets +4.5 (-102)
- Over/Under (O/U): 234.5 (O: -107 | U: -115)
Wizards at Rockets key injuries
Wizards
- G Bradley Beal (wrist) out
- F Kyle Kuzma (knee) questionable
Rockets
- G Eric Gordon (knee) questionable
[tipico]
Wizards at Rockets odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Rockets 120, Wizards 116
Money line
LEAN to the ROCKETS +165.
The Rockets are coming off a rough loss to a top contender, but they have a well-balanced team that is still giving minutes to veteran players like G Dennis Schroder.
They are also far better at home this season, 10-24, which compares favorably to just 7-29 on the road. Washington also hasn’t had success on the road, just 12-22 while 18-18 at home.
Also, while the Rockets have the worst net rating in the NBA, the Wizards rank 24th in net rating, which isn’t where their win percentage would suggest. Washington sits 18th in win percentage.
Washington is 5-4 as a road favorite this season, a record worthy of taking a risk on HOUSTON at +165.
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick’em contests. Play now!
Against the spread
BET HOUSTON +4.5 (-102).
Getting blown out by Memphis happens to many teams. The Rockets are actually 2-0 ATS against teams in the bottom 10 in net rating over their last 10. The Wizards fit that mold.
At 11-22-1 ATS, Washington is the second-worst covering team on the road this season. The Wizards are 7-13 without Beal and just 1-6 over their last 7. Both teams are 4-6 ATS over their last 10.
I’ll take the home side to cover in this battle given how inept Washington has been on the road.
Over/Under
PASS with a slight lean to the Over 234.5 (-107).
Wildly, both teams are 39-30-1 O/U this season.
The Wizards are 9-1 O/U in their last 10 while the Rockets are just 5-5 O/U in that span. Over their last 10, both teams rank top 20 in pace and in the bottom five in defensive rating.
The pace and lack of defense should help this total go over.
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional NBA sports coverage:
HoopsHype | Celtics Wire | LeBron Wire | Lonzo Wire | Nets Wire | Rockets Wire | Sixers Wire | Thunder Wire | Warriors Wire | Rookie Wire | List 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), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]
