The Brooklyn Nets will host a showdown against the Houston Rockets at the Barclays Center. Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Tuesday, Dec. 8 and can be seen on YES and RSW.
The Nets are hoping for a better outcome after their 114-98 loss to the Warriors on Sunday. Despite the loss, Thaddeus Young earned his ninth double-double this season with 25 points and 14 rebounds. The Rockets, meanwhile, are coming off a 120-113 win against the Kings on Saturday. James Harden was the game’s top scorer, registering 31 points on 6-for-14 shooting.
Trips to the foul line may prove key for the Rockets in this one. They’re ranked second in the league in free throw attempt rate (35.5), while Brooklyn is among the best at keeping opponents off of the charity stripe (ranking fifth by allowing a free throw attempt rate of 25.0).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Nets winning the first matchup 106-98. Despite the loss, Marcus Thornton had a standout performance with 21 points, three rebounds, seven assists, four steals, one block, and three three-pointers.
The Rockets take on the Nets as a five-point favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 207 points. The Nets come into this game 5-15 Straight Up (SU) and 11-9 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3).
As for their opponent, the Rockets have 10-11 SU and 7-14 ATS records. Against the Eastern Conference, Houston is 3-5 SU and 1-7 ATS. The Rockets rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking fourth in the league with 209 made (9.0 per game). Moving on to Houston’s defense, the Rockets are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an impressive 9.9 steals per game.
Brooklyn 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 2-8 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. With a 6-3-1 record, the Rockets also have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, ATS Winner – Hou, O/U – Over
Notes
Brooklyn is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn’s last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn’s last 6 games at home.
Brooklyn is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Brooklyn is 6-15-1 ATS in its last 22 games when playing Houston.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn’s last 6 games when playing Houston.
Brooklyn is 2-16 SU in its last 18 games when playing Houston.
Brooklyn is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Houston.
Brooklyn is 2-9-1 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Houston.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn’s last 6 games when playing at home against Houston.
On average, Houston scores 102.9 points per game (ranked eighth). Brooklyn ranks 22nd in points allowed per game with 102.8.
Brooklyn ranks 19th in points allowed per home game (99.9 PPG), while Houston ranks 10th in points per away game with 102.1.
The Houston Rockets are an even 1-1 when they keep their opponents to fewer than 100 points. The Brooklyn Nets have an abysmal record of 3-12 this season when they score less than 100.
Houston has a 9-10 record when allowing at least 100 points. Brooklyn has a 2-3 record when it hits triple digits.
The Nets have a defensive rating of 104.0 (ranked 22nd), while the Rockets rank 18th for their offensive rating of 101.7.
The Houston Rockets average a field goal percentage of 42.5% this season. The Brooklyn Nets have an underachieving record of 4-13 when opponents have a FG% of 42.5% or greater.
The Brooklyn Nets rank higher for their field goal percentage (17th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (26th). The Houston Rockets rank higher for their effective field goal percentage (20th) than they do for their field goal percentage (24th).
Brooklyn has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.39 this season (ranked 19th), while Houston ranks lower at 27th with an A/TO of 1.27.
The Nets rank ninth in rebounds per game with 45.1, while the Rockets rank 19th with 43.9 per game.
The Houston Rockets are among the best offensive rebounding teams in the league (ranked fourth). The Brooklyn Nets are in the top half of NBA teams in defensive rebounding (ranked 12th).
Houston has forced an average turnover percentage of 15.1% this season. Brooklyn has a subpar 2-7 record when its TOV% is 15.1% or higher.
