The Southwest’s top team will be on the road when the San Antonio Spurs (25-5) head to the Toyota Center to play the division rival Houston Rockets (15-15). Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 25 and can be seen on ESP, RSW and KMY.
The Rockets are expecting a better outcome after their 104-101 loss to the Magic on Wednesday. James Harden was the game’s leading scorer with 31 points. The Spurs, meanwhile, are coming off a 108-83 win against the Timberwolves on Wednesday. Kawhi Leonard was the game’s top scorer, accounting for 19 points on 8-for-16 shooting.
Keep tabs on Houston’s ability to get to the free throw line. They’re ranked first in the NBA in free throw attempt rate (35.1), but San Antonio is among the best in the league at keeping opponents away from the charity stripe (ranking first by yielding a free throw attempt rate of 22.8).
The Spurs are favored by eight points over Houston and the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 204 points. The Rockets come into this game 15-15 Straight Up (SU) and 12-18 Against The Spread (ATS). They have the same record SU and ATS against divisional opponents, going 2-3. The Rockets have seen a decline in scoring against teams inside their division, averaging 96.6 points per game. They average 104.1 points per game on the season. As for the Houston defense, opponents have consistently had the ball stolen by the Rockets, who lead the league in steals per game with 10.2. Houston is one of the league’s top scoring teams off turnovers with an average of 18.7 points per game.
In the other locker room, the Spurs have a record of 21-9 ATS and 25-5 SU. San Antonio performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning an 8-2 record. The Spurs convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking second in the league at .486. The Spurs have controlled the glass with an average of 46.2 rebounds per game, fifth in the league. The Spurs are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, leading the NBA at 1.87. The San Antonio defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing .420 shooting from the field to its opponents. One advantage for the Spurs could be Houston’s high fouls per game average of 23.0.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between the divisional foes. Their previous game was a Spurs victory, but the win was not enough to overtake Houston in the most recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. Furthermore, the Rockets hold the advantage ATS with a record of 8-2.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA, ATS Winner – SA, O/U – Over
Notes
Houston is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston’s last 5 games.
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Houston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing San Antonio.
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Antonio.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston’s last 5 games when playing at home against San Antonio.
San Antonio is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston.
Houston averages a solid 104.1 points per game this season. However, San Antonio is the top-ranked team in points allowed, giving up just 88.8 points per game.
Houston averages a solid 104.9 points per home game this season. However, San Antonio is the top-ranked team in points allowed on the road, giving up just 89.9 points per game.
In its last game, San Antonio won by a 25-point margin. Houston is 2-3 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. San Antonio has a 12-0 record in blowouts.
San Antonio has a 22-2 record when opponents score fewer than 100 points. Houston has yet to win a game in which it puts up under 100 (0-10).
When San Antonio gives up 100 or more points in a game, the team is an even 3-3 this season. Houston, on the other hand, has a stellar record (15-5) when it reaches the century mark.
The Rockets have a defensive rating of 105.3 (ranked 23rd), while the Spurs rank third for their offensive rating of 107.7.
San Antonio has an average field goal percentage of 48.6% (ranked second). Houston is a subpar 2-8 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Houston Rockets rank higher for their effective field goal percentage (13th) than they do for their field goal percentage (22nd). The San Antonio Spurs rank second for both their FG% and EFF%.
On average, the San Antonio Spurs make 25.2 assists per game and the Houston Rockets make 21.3. San Antonio is ranked second, while Houston is ranked 18th.
Houston makes an average of 5.5 blocks per game (ranked ninth). San Antonio ranks higher in blocks with 5.9 (ranked sixth).
Houston ranks among the best in the league in offensive rebounding at fourth, while San Antonio ranks second in defensive rebounds.
The Houston Rockets rank first in steals, with an average of 10.2 per game. When the San Antonio Spurs allow at least 10 steals, they have a winning 5-2 record.
