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Two western conference teams square off at the Toyota Center as the Los Angeles on Friday 10/26/18. The Houston Rockets were among the top favorites heading to the season but after four games the Rockets are just 1-3. The Clippers meanwhile, were almost written off at the start of the season but with their defensive effort they are hanging around. Meanwhile ,the Clippers are 2-2 on the season and are coming off a loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Defense Is Underrated
The Los Angeles Clippers are playing their first full season without Blake Griffin and without a true superstar, the Clippers have leaned on their underrated defense to compete against their rivals. Los Angeles CLippers are allowing just 106.8 points per game which is 9th best in the league. The Clippers held th Rockets to 112 points in their first meeting last Monday.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Houston Rockets 10/26/18
Moneyline Odds: Clippers +133, Rockets -153
Odds from Sportsbetting.ag as of 10/25/18
Houston We Have A Problem
The Rockets are now 1-3 on the season with the fight marred game against the Lakers their only win of the season. Chris Paul missed their last two games while serving a two game suspension following his punching incident with Rajon Rondo last Monday. But CP3 is expected to be back for this contest and that is good news for the Rockets.
However, the Rockets suffered a major blow when 2018 NBA MVP James Harden suffered a hamstring injury in their last game against the Utah Jazz. He is expected to miss the Rockets’ remaining two games in their current road trip.
Who Wins?
The Rockets lead their all-time series 120-77 and these teams have split their last 8 games played. They went 2-2 last season with each team having a win on the opponent’s home court. This is the second meeting between these teams this season and the Clippers beat the Rockets 115-112 in Los Angeles last October 22.
Los Angeles is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games played and 3-7 SU in their last 10 road games played. On the other hand, Houston is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games and 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games at home. Head to head, the Clippers are 4-2 SU in their last six games versus the Rockets but are only 2-6 SU in the last 8 games between these teams in Houston.
The Clippers don’t have the firepower of the Rockets. But they have played good defense to start the season. Los Angeles is currently ranked 8th in defensive efficiency, giving up 104.1 points per 100 possessions. Because of that, they have been able to post an even 2-2 record, better than Houston’s 1-3. The Rockets are looking to rebound from back to back losses but without Harden, things won’t be easy. These teams have split their last 8 games against each other and were 2-2 last season.
I think Harden’s absence changes the entire betting scenario here. It’s going to be a struggle for the Rockets. Having said that, I’ll take the plus money and the upset minded Clippers on 10/26/18. We’re picking the Los Angeles Clippers to beat the Houston Rockets.
Other Bets To Make
The Clippers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games and 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games on the road. The Rockets are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall and are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games at home. Head to head, the Clippers are 5-1 ATs in their last six games versus the Rockets. Los Angeles is also 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a losing record. The Rockets meanwhile are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games after a double digit loss.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Houston Rockets 10/26/18
Spread Odds: Clippers +3.5 (-115), Rockets -3.5 (-105)
Odds from Sportsbetting.ag as of 10/25/18
Let’s keep this simple: The Rockets will be without James Harden who was last season’s Most Valuable Player. I like the Clippers here and I like them more because of the +3 which could be the insurance policy in this showdown.
Prediction: Clippers +3.5
The under is 4-2 in the Clippers’ last 6 games and the under is also 5-1 in the last six road games played by Los Angeles. The total has also gone under in 6 out of the last 9 games of the Rockets and also under in 15 of the Rockets last 22 games at home.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Houston Rockets 10/26/18
Over/Under Odds: Over 218.5 -115, Under 218.5 -105
Odds from Sportsbetting.ag as of 10/25/18
With Harden out, the Rockets will be missing over 20 points per game. His absence will also mean more minutes for Eric Gordon who is a very good defender. More playing time for Gordon means fewer points for the Knicks’ backcourt. This two way effect of Harden’s absence is going to hurt the over in this matchup.
Prediction: Under 218.5
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