The Rockets are traveling to the City of Brotherly Love to face the young 76ers after a surprising home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. James Harden and co. are looking to bounce back and respond with a victory, but it’s not going to be comfortable against Philadelphia Sixers who are on the wings of the latest win over the Pistons in Detroit.
Rockets at Sixers
Spread: Houston Rockets -3.5 (-110)
Total: Over/Under 222 (-110)
The Rockets are looking for the third consecutive away win
The Rockets entered this season with three straight wins, including the one over the reigning champions Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena on the opening night. However, the unexpected home defeat to Memphis spoiled the perfect start as Houston failed to outsmart the solid Grizzlies defense that stopped the Rockets perimeter shooting, their primary weapon. Houston scored only 14 points in the final quarter, while their three-point shooting was at poor 23.7% (9-38), so I expect them to play much better in Philadelphia and improve from beyond the arc.
The absence of the classic point guard proved to be costly for the Rockets as Eric Gordon splits time with James Harden at PG, and as long as Chris Paul is out, this problem will be present against the good defensive teams like Memphis. Only three players finished the match in double digits, while the Grizzlies had five of them, so it was clear that Harden and Gordon couldn’t do it all on this one. “The Beard” recorded 22 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and even seven turnovers, with 8-20 from the field. Gordon added 21 points, four assists, and three boards while shooting 7-18 (4-13 for three points), and Clint Capela chipped in with 14 points, six rebounds, and a pair of blocks. Trevor Ariza’s struggle continued as he failed to get a single shot from the field and ended the tilt with just two points in 40 minutes of action. Ariza’s shooting is miserable 6-27 (22.2%) after the opening four matches of the campaign, so without him involved in the offense and critical three-pointers for which he’s well-known, the Rockets will be quite limited in the attack. Ryan Anderson contributed with only five points, but he played through a lower back injury and should improve in the upcoming games, and I see him as a potential triggerman in Philadelphia.
With Chris Paul on the sidelines for two to three weeks, the Rockets offense could continue to display uninspiring performances, while their defense is also affected with CP3’s missing. Harden and Gordon are playing just fine, but they need more support from teammates or else, Houston will suffer a few additional defeats in the next couple of weeks. The Rockets are scoring 106.00 points per game on average, while they are allowing 102.5 points per contest thus far. They are slightly better in away matches, with a pair of narrow victories over Golden State and Sacramento, scoring 113.5 ppg and allowing 110.5 ppg on average. In order to secure a W against the Sixers, Houston must step up in the defense and hold the hosts to under 100 points, so they need Mbah a Moute, Tucker, and Ariza to be more active defensively, even if they fail to contribute to the offense.
Place: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date/Time: Wednesday, October 25th, 2017. 7:00 PM ET
TV Coverage:
The 76ers are hoping for the first win at home
Philadelphia lost the first three matches to Washington, Boston, and Toronto, with the latter one was a massive, 94-128 defeat, but they bounced back in Detroit on Monday, securing a 97-86 win over the Pistons. The highly-talented 76ers are now facing a tough test against the Rockets at Wells Fargo Center, and they have the opportunity to perform well in front of their own fans who are anxious to see one of the most exciting teams in the NBA.
The Sixers were better in numerous categories than the Pistons on Monday; they had 49 rebounds in opposite to Detroit’s 39, recorded 25 assists (11 more), and won the game even with 21 turnovers thanks, phenomenal Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. The former No. 1 pick Simmons recorded his first ever triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and ten dimes, while Embiid led all players in scoring with 30, along with nine boards and a couple of thefts. Robert Covington had 13 points, five rebounds, and a game-high four steals, but Dario Saric, JJ Redick, and Jerryd Bayless combined for just 20 points and must do better against Houston, or 97 points will not be enough for another victory. The No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, Markelle Fultz, is still struggling to get into a rhythm, but he is playing with a bad shoulder, and his numbers will gradually improve. He added miserable two points in 16 minutes and will continue to come off the bench, but coach Brett Brown is convinced that Fultz will start playing way better when he fully recovers from an injured shoulder.
Bayless will remain a starting point guard for the time being, but he is more a shooting guard than the classic PG, so the Sixers need Fultz to get into a groove quickly. The same could be said for Dario Saric, who is averaging only 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds over the first four matches, and the Croatian will have a favorable matchup against the Rockets on Wednesday night to finally score double digits for the first time this season. Philadelphia averages 99.5 points per game, while they’re allowing 109.00 points per contest. The 76ers lost all three matches when they conceded more than 100 points, and it’s going to be hard to contain Houston’s high-flying offense, so they must respond with a attack of their own in order to with this tilt.
Houston Rockets at Philadelphia 76ers Game Trends & Prediction
The Houston Rockets are currently 2-2 against the spread, while they are 1-1 on the road. When it comes to over/under, Houston are 1-3 at the moment, and 1-1 in away matches, so it’s rather hard to predict the outcome of this tilt. The Rockets are undefeated in the previous seven duels with Philadelphia and are without a loss since 2013.
The Philadelphia 76ers are 1-3 against the spread so far, while they are 0-1 at home. The Sixers are 2-2 when it comes to over/under, while their only home game against the Celtics went under. They are eager to end the losing streak against Houston finally, and it seems that they will have a decent chance as long as they play solid defense.
Still, I think that the Rockets will cover the spread and that is where your money should go. I will pass on the total.
My Pick: Houston Rockets -3.5 (-110)
Total: Pass
