The Houston Rockets (22-11) and Portland Trail Blazers (17-20) meet Wednesday at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, in the first meeting in a back-to-back set. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Rockets vs. Trail Blazers odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Rockets lead 1-0. Houston routed visiting Portland 140-116 at Toyota Center as a 7.5-point home favorite with the Over (236.5) cashing on Nov. 14. The Rockets have won 6 of the past 7 meetings while also going 6-1 against the spread (ATS) in the span. The Over is 6-3 across the previous 9 encounters.
Houston topped Phoenix 100-97 on Monday, failing as an 8.5-point home favorite as the Under (222.5) cashed. F Kevin Durant had 26 points and 10 rebounds against his former team while C Steven Adams had 8 points with 11 rebounds.
The Rockets have won 5 of their past 6 but are just 1-3 ATS in their past 4 outings. The Under has cashed in 3 in a row and 5 of Houston’s previous 6 outings.
Portland routed Utah 137-117 as a 6-point home favorite Monday as the Over (242.5) connected. C Donovan Clingan was good for 12 points with 17 rebounds and 3 blocks, while G Deni Avdija (33 points) and G Shaedon Sharpe (29 points) led the way in scoring.
The Blazers have won and covered 3 in a row and are 5-1 SU/ATS in their past 6 games. The Under is 3-1 in the past 4 outings and 8-2 across the past 10 outings.
Rockets at Trail Blazers odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 11:03 a.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML): Rockets -285 (bet $285 to win $100) | Trail Blazers +225 (bet $100 to win $220)Against the spread: Rockets -6.5 (-110) | Trail Blazers +6.5 (-110)Over/Under (O/U): 225.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)Rockets at Trail Blazers key injuries
Rockets
F Isaiah Crawford (illness) outC Alperen Sengun (ankle) out
Trail Blazers
F Jerami Grant (Achilles) outG Scoot Henderson (hamstring)G Jrue Holiday (calf) outF Kris Murray (back) doubtfulG Matisse Thybulle (knee) outG Blake Wesley (foot) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Rockets at Trail Blazers picks and predictionsPrediction
Rockets 114, Trail Blazers 110
The Rockets (-285) will set you back nearly 3 times your potential return, and that’s just not a recommended wager straight up, even if you were to use a boost or a promo. Even as part of a multi-leg parlay, including Houston makes little sense.
AVOID, and look to the spread instead.
The TRAIL BLAZERS +6.5 (-110) are a strong play catching more than 3 buckets at home.
The Rockets are 1-3 ATS in the past 4 games and just 4-9 ATS across their previous 13 outings.
While the Trail Blazers did lose to the Rockets by 24 points back in mid-November in Houston, Portland is playing much better lately, especially in the PDX. The Blazers have covered 3 in a row and 5 of their past 6 outings. They are also 5-1 ATS in their past 6 games at home.
The UNDER 225.5 (-110) is the lean, but roll with a half-unit play at best.
The Under is on fire for the Blazers lately, cashing in 3 of the past 4 games and going 8-2 across the past 10. In Portland, the Under has cashed in 4 of 6.
The Rockets have cashed low in 3 straight meetings and 5 of their past 6 games dating back to a Christmas Day win in Los Angeles against the Lakers.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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