NBA Odds: Rockets (even)
The Houston Rockets (41-18) can extend a five-game home winning streak when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies (42-16). Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 4 and can be seen on SPSO and ROOT-SW.
The Rockets played well in their last game, edging the Cavaliers 105-103 on Sunday. James Harden was the team’s leading scorer with 33 points on 8-for-18 shooting. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are coming off a 101-97 win against the Timberwolves on Saturday. Marc Gasol claimed his 16th double-double of the season with 27 points and 11 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Terrence Jones has taken his game to another level for the Rockets, averaging 17.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks.
The Rockets lead the season series against the Grizzlies two games to one, including a 117-111 win the last time these two teams met. Harden put up a double-double in the victory with 32 points and 10 assists.
The odds for Houston and Memphis are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Rockets come into this game 41-18 Straight Up (SU) and 34-25 Against The Spread (ATS). They have the same record SU and ATS against divisional opponents, going 5-5. The Rockets lead the NBA in three-point field goals, making 692 from beyond the arc (11.7 per game). Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the Rockets prevent teams from making three-pointers on the defensive end, ranking fifth in the league with 418 total three-pointers allowed (7.1 per game). Houston is one of the league’s top scoring teams off turnovers with an average of 19.1 points per game.
In the other locker room, the Grizzlies have a record of 28-28-2 ATS and 42-16 SU. Against fellow division members, Memphis has a 6-5 SU and ATS record. The Grizzlies convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking fourth in the league at .776. Moving on to Memphis’s defense, Memphis’s defense allows just 96.7 points per road game, ranking them third in the league. One advantage for the Grizzlies could be Houston’s high fouls per game average of 22.7.
With the Rockets’ last win against Memphis, they evened up the head-to-head record over the last 10 meetings, 5-5 SU. They are also even ATS in their last 10 games. Houston held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times in the last 10 matchups. On the other side of the court, Memphis never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – HOU, ATS Winner – HOU
Notes
The Rockets are a top-10 scoring team, averaging 103.3 points per game. Memphis gives up just 95.7 points per game, best in the league.
Houston ranks 18th in points per home game with 101.3 points, while Memphis ranks third in points allowed on the road with 96.7.
Houston has a tremendous 28-3 record when it allows under 100 points this season. Memphis is 15-14 when it scores under 100.
Houston is 13-15 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Grizzlies have a superb 27-2 record when they hit the century mark.
The Grizzlies have a defensive rating of 99.5, third-best in the NBA. The Rockets also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 103.4 (ranked 12th).
The Houston Rockets average 99.9 possessions per game and 1.034 points per possession, while the Memphis Grizzlies earn fewer possessions (96.1) but more points per possession (1.038).
Ranked seventh in the NBA, Houston has an average effective field goal percentage of 50.8%. Memphis is 14-11 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Houston Rockets average 33.8 three point attempts per game, while the Memphis Grizzlies attempt 15.3 per game. When attempting 25 or more three pointers in a game, Houston is 41-17 while Memphis is undefeated (2-0).
Houston has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.34 this season (ranked 28th). Memphis ranks higher with an A/TO of 1.71 (ranked ninth).
The Houston Rockets rebound 43.7 times per game and are ranked 15th. Ranked 19th, the Memphis Grizzlies rebound 43.0 times per game.
The Memphis Grizzlies rank 20th in offensive rebounding, while the Houston Rockets rank 23rd in defensive rebounding.
On average, the Rockets force a turnover rate of 15.9%, ranked third in the NBA. When the Grizzlies turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 10-4 record.
