Both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Houston Rockets are headed to the playoffs and each wants a win as their springboard to the postseason. The Rockets won the first meeting between them and the Sixers this season, but a lot has changed since. Check out our preview of this match below.
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Betting Preview for the Philadelphia 76ers vs Houston Rockets NBA Regular Season Game on August 14, 2020
Where: Walt Disney World, Orlando
When: Friday, August 14, 2020, TBD ET
Line: Philadelphia 76ers (Odds) vs. Houston Rockets (Odds) – view all 2019-20 NBA lines
TV Broadcast: TBD
Betting on the Philadelphia 76ers (odds)
Regular Season Record: 42-30
Back in the Sixers’ 118-108 loss on the road to Houston earlier this year, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons scored 20 and 29 points, respectively. Well, Simmons is out for the rest of the season with a lower-body injury, while Embiid is, at best, not 100 percent even if he plays this Friday. In other words, if the Sixers are to beat Houston, their production on both ends of the floor will have to come from players outside of those two. To that effect, Al Horford and Tobias Harris have bigger responsibilities going forward. For this rematch with Houston, Horford can look to be more effective, as he only scored seven points in 34 minutes of action in the first meeting with the Rockets. Harris was much better in that game with 24 points. If anything, Clint Capela, who lit the Sixers up with 30 points, is no longer with the Rockets, so that’s a bit of good news for Philly, which saw the total hit the over in six of their last seven games as the road team.
Betting on the Houston Rockets (odds)
Regular Season Record: 44-27
The Rockets are among the best teams in the Orlando bubble, and that’s mostly due to the exploits of James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Harden is among the finalists for this season’s MVP trophy and he’s showing why he’s in contention again for the Maurice Podoloff trophy whenever he’s on the floor. But Harden could possibly be rested by the Rockets in this upcoming game against the Sixers. Westbrook is definitely a no-go after an MRI scan revealed a quadriceps injury for the former MVP. The Rockets are not short of players who are willing to step up, though. Remember when the Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings last Sunday? Austin Rivers came out of nowhere and dropped 41 points on Luke Walton’s team in 33 minutes off the bench. Rivers, Ben McLemore, Jeff Green, Danuel House Jr., and Robert Covington are all averaging at least 10 points per game since the NBA restart.
The Rockets are 3-1 against the spread in their last four games against Philadelphia.
Writer’s Prediction
The Rockets win, 121-113.
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