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One game after taking down the Boston Celtics, the Brooklyn Nets look to continue their giant-slaying ways as they take on the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
In The Thick Of the Fight
This wasn’t supposed to go this way for Brooklyn. The Nets were supposed to be on a rebuilding season, aiming for another lottery pick in the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft. But Kenny Atkinson’s boys are just one game below the .500 mark at 22-23 and are in the thick of the playoff fight in the Eastern Conference at #7 right now and just four games behind 5th seeded Boston whom they upset 109-102 on Monday.
The Nets are 17th in the NBA in scoring at 110.7 points per game. Brooklyn is also ranked 20th in passing with 23.4 assists per game and 14th in rebounding at 45.6 boards per contest. Defensively, the Nets allow their opponents to score 111.3 points per game, giving them the 19th ranked scoring defense in the league.
Brooklyn Nets vs Houston Rockets 1/16/19
Moneyline Odds: Nets +155, Rockets -175
Odds from betonline.ag as of 1/16/19
Out Of This World
The Houston Rockets have found the form that took them all the way to the Western Conference Finals last season and they have done it with Chris Paul sidelined with injury. Reigning MVP James Harden has been playing out of this world lately, breaking and setting scoring records right and left. The Rockets suffered another blow when Clint Capela got injured against the Magic but Harden responded by scoring a season high 57 points in their last outing.
The Rockets rank 16th in the league in scoring at 111.3 points per game and they are also 11th in scoring defense at 109.2 points per game allowed. With Chris Paul still sidelined, Houston is only 28th in passing with 21.3 assists per game. The Rockets also ranked 26th in rebounds at 42.0 boards per contest.
Who Wins?
The Nets are 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played and Brooklyn is 2-4 SU in their last six road games played. The Rockets are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games played and Houston in 5-1 SU in their last six games played. Head to head, the Rockets are 7-3 SU in their last 10 meetings.
Harden has been spectacular during this Rockets’ resurgence. He’s averaged 41.9 points, 9.2 assists and 7.5 rebounds in the dozen games Chris Paul has missed. But he will need to do more with Capela out for possibly six weeks with a thumb injury. Capela was averaging 17.6 points and 12.6 rebounds this season and while the Rockets can make up those numbers, it remains to be seen if they can make up for his defensive presence. Likewise, with Capela and Paul out plus Gordon questionable for this contest, the Rockets could end up playing without their 2nd, 3rd and 4th top scorers.
On the other hand, the Nets are playing loose right now and it’s paying off because the team continues to make its move in the teams standings. The Nets are playing their best basketball of the season and the Rockets are playing shorthanded here. But Houston has the best player on the court in James Harden. The Nets are only 19th in defense and I think Harden exposes that en route to a Rockets win.
We’re picking the Houston Rockets to beat the Brooklyn Nets on 1/16/19.
Other Bets To Make
The Nets are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games played. Brooklyn 2-4 ATS in their last six road games. The Rockets are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games. Houston is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall. Head to head though, the Nets are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against the Rockets.
Brooklyn Nets vs Houston Rockets 1/16/19
Spread Odds: Nets +4 (-110), Rockets -4 (-110
Odds from betonline.ag as of 1/16/19
The Nets are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games after a win, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with winning records and 5-2 ATS overall in their last seven games played. Houston is 7-0-1 ATS in their last 8 home games against teams below .500, 14-3-1 in their last 18 home games and 13-4-1 ATS in their last 18 games overall. The Nets are playing very good basketball right now. But the Rockets are playing better.
Prediction: Rockets -4
The total has gone over in six out of the last 10 games played by both Brooklyn and Houston. The over is 4-2 in the Nets’ last six road games and the over is also 4-2 in the Rockets’ last six home games played. Head to head, these two teams have seen the total hit the over in six out of their last 10 meetings.
Brooklyn Nets vs Houston Rockets 1/16/19
Over/Under Odds: Over 221.5 -110, Under 221.5 -110
Odds from betonline.ag as of 1/16/19
The over is 4-2 in the Rockets’ last six home games as favorite and the over is also 8-2 in the Rockets’ last 10 games against Eastern Division teams. The total has gone over in four out of the last five road games played by the Nets. The Nets are playing their best basketball of the season and so is James Harden. This should be a shootout between these teams.
Prediction: Over 221.5
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