The Dallas Mavericks (11-8) can extend a five-game home winning streak when they meet the Houston Rockets (8-11). Action begins at 8:30 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 4 and can be seen on FSW and RSW.
The Mavericks enter this game hoping for similar success after edging the Trail Blazers 115-112 on Tuesday. Deron Williams was the game’s leading scorer with 30 points on 11-for-17 shooting. The Rockets, meanwhile, are coming off a 108-101 win against the Pelicans on Wednesday. James Harden claimed his fifth double-double of the season with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
Harden has been hot for the Rockets, averaging 33.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.8 three-pointers over the past five games.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Mavericks winning the first matchup 110-98. Terrence Jones had a standout performance with 23 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal, three blocks, and one three-pointer in the loss.
The Mavericks are a six-point favorite against Houston and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 209 points. The Mavericks come into this game 11-8 Straight Up (SU) and 12-7 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Mavericks prevent teams from making three-pointers on the defensive end, ranking fourth in the league with a .315 opponent field-goal percentage from three-point range. Teams usually don’t get many offensive rebounds against the Mavericks, who are one of the top defensive rebounding teams in the league with an average of 35.5 defensive rebounds per game. Dallas will look to take advantage of the Rockets and their propensity to foul. Houston ranks 26th in the league in fouls, averaging 23.2 per game.
As for their opponent, the Rockets have a record of 5-14 ATS and 8-11 SU. Houston has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 2-8 record. The Rockets get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, ranking third in the league with 414 made (21.0 per game).
Dallas beat Houston in their most recent meeting this season, but the win was not enough to overtake Houston in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 3-7 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. Furthermore, the Rockets hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, ATS Winner – Hou, O/U – Under
Notes
Dallas is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games.
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas’s last 5 games at home.
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Dallas is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Houston.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas’s last 6 games when playing Houston.
Dallas is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Houston.
Dallas is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Houston.
Dallas is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas’s last 6 games when playing at home against Houston.
Dallas scores an average of 100.8 points per game (ranked 15th). Houston ranks 28th in points allowed per game with 107.6.
On average, Dallas puts up 99.1 points per home game (ranked 20th). Houston ranks 27th in points allowed per road game with 107.7.
The Dallas Mavericks are 8-1 in games where they allow fewer than 100 points, while the Houston Rockets are winless (0-9) when they don’t hit the century mark.
The Dallas Mavericks have a poor 3-7 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Houston Rockets are 8-2 when they hit triple digits.
The Rockets have a defensive rating of 107.1 (ranked 27th). The Mavericks rank 14th for their offensive rating of 101.7.
Dallas averages fewer possessions per game than Houston, with 99.1 compared to 101.5. However, the Mavericks score an average of 1.017 points per possession, more than the 1.007 that the Rockets score.
Dallas has an average effective field goal percentage of 49.0%. Houston is a poor 5-9 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Dallas Mavericks make 21.6 assists per game and the Houston Rockets make 20.2. Dallas is ranked 14th, while Houston is ranked 23rd.
Dallas makes an average of 3.7 blocks per game (ranked 29th). Houston ranks higher in blocks with 5.8 (ranked ninth).
The Dallas Mavericks rank 29th in offensive rebounding, while the Houston Rockets rank 26th in defensive rebounding.
Making 9.8 steals per game, Houston is ranked second in the NBA. Dallas has a winning 5-2 record when it gives up at least 9 steals.
