It’s been rough sailing for both the Houston Rockets (23-11) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (19-16) lately. The Rockets are coming off a tough loss at the hands of the Chicago Bulls last Monday, and are looking forward to getting back on track when they travel to Cleveland to face the struggling Cavaliers. The Cavs have reached rock bottom on Monday, when they were dealt another loss by the lowly Philadelphia 76ers.
For more NBA game previews, you can check out our Lakers vs. Clippers breakdown here.
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Houston Rockets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview
Houston can’t seem to find consistency these days. After blasting the Miami Heat (115-79) on Saturday, the Rockets find themselves on the losing end again, as they suffered a 114-105 setback on the road against the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The Rockets are now 4-4 in their last eight games overall.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Rockets haven’t been playing solid defense recently. During their last four losses, the team has surrendered an average of 109.8 PPG, way off from their season average of 97.4 PPG. Against Cleveland’s watered-down lineup, though, the Rockets should be able to limit the Cavs’ offense that averages just 90.8 PPG over the last five games—third worst in the NBA during that span.
The Cavs will play without James and possibly Irving, which means the Rockets’ clear-cut priority on defense is to stop Kevin Love. Dwight Howard can take away Love’s inside scoring, but he’s going to need help in containing Love’s outside shooting. Howard can also give Love the business on offense. The Rockets’ starting center is the team’s second-leading scorer with 17.8 PPG to go along with his team-best 11.5 RPG. James Harden is the Rockets’ top scorer with 27.0 PPG.
Houston managed to impose its will inside against the Bulls, albeit in a loss, as the Rockets scored 62 points in the paint in that game. The frontline trio of Howard, Josh Smith, and Donatas Motiejunas combined for 34 of those points. A repeat of that inside dominance isn’t far-fetched for the Rockets against Cleveland’s slim frontcourt.
The over is 8-2 in the Rockets’ last 10 road games.
Think the Rockets can win and cover versus the depleted lineup of Cleveland? Create a betting account now and put your prediction to the test.
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers
Perhaps nothing says more about the recent struggles of Cleveland than the fact that they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 95-92 Monday night. The loss to the slumping Sixers was Cleveland’s fifth in six games.
Cleveland, however, was shorthanded because of various reasons against the Sixers. Already missing stars LeBron James (knee/back) and Kyrie Irving (back), the Cavs also had to deal with the news of a trade involving Dion Waiters, Lou Amundson, and Alex Kirk that forced all three players to sit out the ball game.
With a bulk of players unable to play, Kevin Love stepped up and played like his All-Star version, putting up 28 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. Tristan Thompson also had a nice game, as he finished the game with 18 points and nine boards. Thompson has elevated his game lately, averaging 14.3 PPG and 11.8 RPG over the last six games. Both Love and Thompson will play major roles against Houston’s frontline, particularly in the rebounding department. The Rockets are ninth in the league in rebounding with 44.3 RPG.
James won’t be back for at least another week, while Irving is considered day-to-day as of the moment. Expect Mathew Dellavedova (4.4 PPG, 3.1 APG) to start at point guard if Irving misses the Houston game. The arrival of J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to Cleveland via the mentioned trade will serve as a huge boost for Cleveland’s shallow bench. Shumpert, however, won’t see action as he’s still recuperating from a shoulder injury. In 24 games with the Knicks this season, Smith has averaged 10.9 PPG and 3.4 APG.
The Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against Houston.
