The Nets surprised with a win at Memphis on Sunday and are now looking to make another upset, while the Rockets will try to stay at the top of the Western Conference with a victory. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
Brooklyn Nets at Houston Rockets
Spread: Houston Rockets -16 (-110) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over/Under 229.5 points (-110)
The Nets are huge underdogs at Toyota Center
The Brooklyn Nets are playing the second of back-to-back games on their Western Conference road trip and the last night’s unexpected win over the Memphis Grizzlies was their seventh of the season. Brooklyn is currently in the 13th position in the Eastern Conference with the 7-12 record, and Kenny Atkinson’s side is a big underdog on this one as nobody expects them to win, so the Nets will not feel the pressure to get a result here, which could be a good thing for them.
Brooklyn won the third quarter by 14 points after scored 32, and hit 13 triples on 29 attempts (44.8%), while the Nets dominated in rebounds (43-35), assists (19-15), and blocks (7-3). Although it was the first time in nine matches that the Nets failed to reach triple digits, they managed to win thanks to some great defense in the second half, limiting the Grizzlies to just 41 points. DeMarre Carroll led Brooklyn with season-high 24 points, six boards, and two thefts, while Trevor Booker posted his third double-double of the campaign with 16 points and 11 rebounds, along with four dishes. Joe Harris contributed with 13 points and six boards, while Spencer Dinwiddie had a bad shooting night as he made only two shots on ten attempts, but chipped in with nine points, game-high seven dimes, and a pair of steals. Dinwiddie will face Chris Paul in a tough matchup on Monday, and I think he could struggle from the field yet again, so Carroll and Booker should be the men to watch on this one.
Kenny Atkinson cannot count on the starting guards Jeremy Lin (knee, out for the season), and D’Angelo Russell (knee, out for the next 2-3 months), while Allen Crabbe missed the tilt in Memphis due to a back injury. Crabbe’s absence could be only a precaution as the Nets don’t want to lose another key player, but they are facing another setback as Rondae Hollis-Jefferson sprained his right ankle. RHJ didn’t return in the second half, so in case he is forced to miss time, Trevor Booker will serve as the starter at the power forward spot. If Crabbe is unable to perform, Joe Harris, Caris Levert, and Sean Kilpatrick will get increased minutes. The Nets are scoring 111.28 points per contest on average (3rd in the NBA), while they are allowing 114.94 points in return (29th in the NBA). Brooklyn is among the best ten teams (10th) in the league when it comes to rebounding (45.06), while their road defense allows 33.33% from the perimeter to the opponents, which is good enough for the seventh road defense in the NBA.
Place: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Date/Time: Monday, November 27th, 2017, 8 PM ET
TV Coverage: ATTSN-SW, YES
The Rockets are looking for the fifth consecutive victory
The Houston Rockets are welcoming the Nets in their third straight home game and are hoping to get another win which would help them to remain at the top spot in the Western Conference. Mike D’Antoni’s side is first in the West with the 15-4 record, and now with Chris Paul back on the court, they are looking even stronger, and one of the biggest contenders for the NBA title this year.
Despite losing the opening quarter by ten points against the New York Knicks, the Rockets managed to get to a comfortable 117:102 win, thanks to a fantastic display in the third period, which they won by 24 points. Houston hit 18 threes on 47 attempts (38.35), and dominated in blocks (6-3), and steals (12-4), while the Rockets committed only eight turnovers in opposite to New York’s 18. James Harden led the Rockets with a double-double of 37 points (12-27 FG, 5-13 3PT, 8-10 FT) and ten rebounds, along with a game-high three steals, while Ryan Anderson added 17 points and seven boards. Trevor Ariza scored 16 points, Clint Capela recorded a double-double of 12 points and 15 rebounds, with a game-high three rejections, while Nene Hilario chipped in with ten points. Chris Paul didn’t have the best game from the field as he hit just two shots on 12 attempts, but played a huge role in the offense with season-high 13 dimes, and is a man to watch on Monday when he faces Spencer Dinwiddie. Harden is another natural choice for a man to watch, while Capela should have a favorable matchup against Tyler Zeller and Timofey Mozgov and should own the paint, so I expect another double-double for the center. Eric Gordon also had a bad shooting night as he scored only eight points (3-12 FG, 2-7 3PT), but I think he will bounce back against the second worst defense in the NBA.
Mike D’Antoni is delighted to have Chris Paul back on the floor as the point guard connected four matches without a setback, but cannot count on Nene who sustained strained right shoulder injury in a win over the Knicks and will not feature on this one. Tarik Black will see more minutes and will serve as Capela’s backup. The Rockets are scoring 113.3 points per contest on average (2nd in the NBA), while they are allowing 103.42 points in return (10th in the NBA). Houston is among the best five teams (4th) in the league when it comes to free-throw shooting (81.29%), while their defense allows just 40.95 rebounds to the rivals which is good enough for the third position in the league.
Brooklyn Nets at Houston Rockets Trends & Prediction
The Nets are 11-8 against the spread (5-5 away), while they are 10-7-2 on over/under (4-5-1 away), and considering that the two out of the three best offenses are meeting, I believe they will combine at least 230 points.
The Rockets are 11-8 against the spread (4-5 home), while they are 9-10 on over/under (5-4 home), and although the spread on Houston is relatively high, the Nets are playing the second of back-to-back matches so that the hosts could win big here.
My Pick: Houston Rockets -16 (-110)
Total: Over 229.5 points (-110)
