NBA Odds: Rockets (even)
The Toronto Raptors will travel to the Toyota Center to square off against the Houston Rockets. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 21 and will air on SN 360 and ROOT-SW.
The Rockets lost to the Clippers 110-95 the last time they played. Josh Smith recorded 21 points and 13 rebounds, earning his 10th double-double of the year. The Raptors, meanwhile, are coming off a 95-93 win over the Wizards in their last outing. Lou Williams led the game in scoring with 27 points on 8-for-16 shooting.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, the turnover story could loom large in this showdown. Toronto commits the fourth-fewest errors in the NBA (turnover percentage of 12.6%), while Houston’s gambling defense causes the third-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 15.8%).
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Rockets look to build on their records of 36-17 Straight Up (SU) and 30-23 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 15-5 SU and 11-9 ATS against teams from the Eastern Conference. Houston is known to control the offensive glass, where they rack up an impressive 12.1 offensive rebounds per game. Transitioning to the Houston defense, teams really have to fight for open three-pointers against the Rockets, who have the best opponent three-point field goal percentage in the league at .316. If its opponents turn the ball over, Houston has shown that it knows how to capitalize. They average 18.8 points off turnovers, making them the fifth-best team in the league for that category.
On the other side, the Raptors head into the game with records of 26-26-1 ATS and 36-17 SU. Toronto has a record of 12-7 SU and 9-9-1 ATS against the West. They sport the fifth-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 105.6 points per game. The Raptors are getting to the foul line at a high rate, with 1,059 free throws made that ranks third in the NBA. The Raptors are in for a physical game against Houston. The Rockets are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 22.7 fouls per game.
This is the first meeting of the season for the Rockets and the Raptors. The last time they played Toronto came out on top, taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the past 10 meetings. However, the Raptors lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-2-1. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Houston held the edge in all three of these categories twice in the last 10 meetings. Toronto did so once.
Predictions: SU Winner – HOU, ATS Winner – HOU
Notes
Toronto ranks fifth in points per game with 105.6, while Houston ranks 18th in points allowed with an average of 99.8 given up.
Houston has allowed an average of 95.8 points per home game this season. Toronto averages 108.7 points per away game, placing the team at the top of the NBA in scoring.
The Houston Rockets have a winning record (26-3) when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Toronto Raptors are 7-9 when they don’t hit triple digits.
When the Houston Rockets allow at least 100 points they are 10-14, while the Toronto Raptors are 29-8 when they register triple digits.
The Raptors have a defensive rating of 103.9 (ranked 17th). The Rockets rank 13th for their offensive rating of 103.7.
The Houston Rockets average 99.5 possessions per game and 1.037 points per possession, while the Toronto Raptors earn fewer possessions (96.9) but more points per possession (1.090).
The Houston Rockets have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking seventh in the league with an EFF% of 51.0%. The Toronto Raptors have a winning 16-10 record in games where opponents have a similar or higher EFF%.
Houston makes an average of 21.7 assists per game (ranked 13th), while Toronto makes 21.0 assists per game (ranked 20th).
Houston makes an average of 4.5 blocks per game (ranked 19th). Toronto ranks higher in blocks with 4.5 (ranked 18th).
The Houston Rockets are the fourth-ranked team in offensive rebounds, while the Toronto Raptors are the 12th-ranked team in defensive rebounds.
The Houston Rockets rank second in steals, with an average of 9.6 per game. When the Toronto Raptors allow at least 9 steals, they have a superb 7-2 record.
