The Portland Trail Blazers welcome the Houston Rockets to the Moda Center. Action begins at 10:30 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 10 and can be seen on ESP, RSW and POR.
The Trail Blazers enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Kings 112-97 in their last matchup. Mason Plumlee was a key piece with 12 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. The Rockets, meanwhile, are coming off a 112-111 win against the Pelicans in their last game. James Harden claimed his 11th double-double of the season with 35 points and 11 rebounds.
Harden and Trevor Ariza have upped their production over the last five games for the Rockets. Harden has averaged 28.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 9.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 3.2 three-pointers during that stretch, while Ariza has put up 20.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 4.4 three-pointers.
The Trail Blazers could dominate the offensive glass in this matchup, as they’re ranked fourth in the league in offensive rebound percentage at 26.6%. Alternatively, Houston ranks 29th in the NBA on the defensive backboards with a defensive rebound percentage of 73.4%. Also, the offense of the Rockets seems ready to earn plenty of trips to the line. They rank first in the NBA in free throw attempt rate (34.6), while the Trail Blazers are among the league’s most foul-happy teams (allowing a 29th-ranked mark of 31.7).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first matchup 108-103. Harden put up 45 points and 11 assists.
The Trail Blazers have gone 26-27 Straight Up (SU) and 29-24 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 26-27 SU and 29-24 ATS against the Western Conference. The Trail Blazers are one of the best in the NBA in terms of three-point field goals, making 10.0 shots per game from beyond the arc. The rebounding edge goes to the Trail Blazers in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the league with an average of 46.0 boards per game. Below average play has been the norm lately for the Portland defense. The Trail Blazers have given up an average of 110.8 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 101.9 PPG.
As for their opponent, the Rockets have 27-27 SU and 22-31-1 ATS records. Houston performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. Offensively, they average 105.6 points per game on the road, which is fourth in the league. The Rockets rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking second in the league with 510 made (10.0 per game). The Rockets average 106.6 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 97.6 points per game during that span. The Rockets are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an NBA-best 9.8 steals per game. Houston is the fifth-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 18.4 per game.
In their previous meeting this season, Houston beat Portland, but the win was not enough to overtake Portland in the most recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. With a 5-4-1 record, the Trail Blazers also have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou
Notes
Houston ranks sixth in points per game with 105.0, while Portland ranks 17th in points allowed with an average of 101.9 given up.
Houston puts up an average of 105.6 points per away game (ranked fourth). Portland ranks 19th in points allowed per home game with 101.5.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Portland Trail Blazers are a fantastic 12-4. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Houston Rockets have an abysmal record of 2-11.
The Portland Trail Blazers have a subpar 9-22 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Houston Rockets are 23-11 when they hit triple digits.
The Rockets have a defensive rating of 106.4 (ranked 24th). The Trail Blazers rank eighth for their offensive rating of 104.6.
Houston beats Portland in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Rockets average 99.8 possessions and 1.051 points per possession, while the Trail Blazers average 97.5 possessions with 1.046 points per possession.
The Houston Rockets have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking seventh in the league with an EFF% of 51.2%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Portland Trail Blazers have a losing 5-13 record.
On average, the Portland Trail Blazers attempt 28.0 three point field goals per game and the Houston Rockets attempt 30.0 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, Portland has an 18-17 record and Houston has a 21-18 record.
Portland has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.49 this season (ranked 20th), while Houston ranks lower at 25th with an A/TO of 1.38.
The Portland Trail Blazers are one of the best rebounding teams in the league, earning 46.0 rebounds per game (ranked fifth). The Houston Rockets rank 18th, rebounding 42.9 times each game.
The Houston Rockets rank ninth in offensive rebounding, while the Portland Trail Blazers rank eighth in defensive rebounding.
Houston is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.5% (ranked sixth). Portland has an underachieving record of 7-13 SU this season when its TOV% reaches 15.5% or greater.
