It will be a battle between Southwest Division opponents when the San Antonio Spurs (6-4) welcome the Houston Rockets (4-6) to the AT&T Center. The game will air on NBATV at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 10, 2018.
Houston opened as a 1-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 209.5 points.
Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs Betting Prediction
The last time the Rockets played, they were 5-point favorites and fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 98-80. The combined points for the game (178) finished well under the O/U total of 213.5. Oklahoma City’s free throw rate was their largest strength over Houston. The Thunder had a rate of 0.210 (below their season average of 0.220), while the Rockets posted a mark of 0.085 (below their season average of 0.177). James Harden was Houston’s high scorer with 19 points on 7-for-19 shooting.
The Spurs were beaten by the Miami Heat in their last game, 95-88. They were unable to cover as 1-point underdogs. The total points for the game (183) finished well under the projected point total of 216.5. Miami’s 27.5 offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest advantage over San Antonio, who had a rate of 20.7. The Heat’s mark was above their season average of 27.2. San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan put up 18 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in the contest.
After the Rockets won three out of four contests against the Spurs last season, these teams will meet for the first time this year. In the last contest, San Antonio won 100-83. The Spurs had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.531 vs. 0.383) and had a better offensive rebounding percentage (19.0 vs. 16.7).
Houston heads into the contest with records of 4-6 straight up (SU) and 3-7 against the spread (ATS). Vegas is exceedingly precise when predicting totals of Rockets games, with an even split between overs and unders.
Meanwhile, San Antonio is 6-4 SU and 5-5 ATS. Of the Spurs’ 10 games, 6 have finished over the total.
Clint Capela has averaged 16.0 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks over the last five games for Houston.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when a pair of the NBA’s slowest-paced teams face off. San Antonio ranks 21st in possessions per game (102.3) and Houston is 28th (100.0). Additionally, the Rockets rank 29th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.169), while the Spurs rank second in opponents’ FTA rate (0.162).
Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Rockets, ATS Winner – Rockets, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Houston is 3-3 ATS on the road with 3 overs and 3 unders.
San Antonio is 3-3 ATS at home with 4 overs and 2 unders.
Houston and San Antonio are both 2-1 when they allow under 100 points.
The Rockets are 2-3 when they score above 100 points, while the Spurs are 6-2.
Houston ranks first in three pointers attempted per game (41.9) while San Antonio ranks 28th (24.6).
The Rockets rank fifth in blocks per game (6.2) while the Spurs rank 19th (4.1).
Houston ranks third in assists allowed per game (21.4) while San Antonio ranks 17th (23.8).
The Spurs rank 13th in rebounds per game (45.7) while the Rockets rank 26th (41.6).
San Antonio ranks fourth in points off turnovers allowed per game (14.8) while Houston ranks 11th (16.5).
The Rockets rank 23rd in fast break points per game (11.3) while the Spurs rank 29th (6.8).
Houston ranks 27th in points in the paint per game (41.0) while San Antonio ranks 28th (40.8).
Bettings Trends:
In its last five games, Houston is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
San Antonio is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over its last five games.
The Rockets’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 3.4, down from 6.1 for the season.
During their last five games, the Spurs have scored an average of 108.0 points per game (2.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 101.0 points per game (8.8 below their season average).
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