The NBA goes south of the border later tonight as the Houston Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves square off in a showdown at Mexico City. Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat renew their fierce rivalry in an intriguing Eastern Conference clash.
Read on below for our analysis of these two matchups and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the NBA showdown between the Sacramento Kings and the Minnesota Grizzlies here.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (10:00 PM ET)
Line: Houston Rockets (-6.5) at Minnesota Timberwolves (+6.5); total: 199.0 – view all NBA lines
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Houston Rockets will look to bounce back from their first defeat of the season when they square off with the Minnesota Timberwolves later tonight. The Rockets sorely missed the services of Dwight Howard in the 98-87 defeat to the Golden State Warriors as the All-Star center sat out the game because of the flu.
He is expected to be back later, and will play an integral part for Houston as they try to contain Minnesota’s imposing frontline led by Nikola Pekovic. The 28-year-old center from Montenegro has been exceptional this season, averaging 15.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game for the Wolves who are still reeling from the news that Ricky Rubio will be out for seven to eight weeks because of a badly sprained left ankle.
The Rockets are 4-1 in their last five meetings with the Wolves.
You can read a complete preview of the game here.
Writer’s Prediction
The Rockets crush the Wolves 100-81.
Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat (7:30 PM ET)
Line: Indiana Pacers (+8) at Miami Heat (-8); total: 189.5 – view all NBA lines
The Indiana Pacers can finally breathe a huge sigh of relief after snapping their six-game losing streak with a tough 97-86 win over the Utah Jazz Monday. Roy Hibbert was the star of the show for the Pacers as he scored a season-high 29 points to give Indiana their first victory since winning their season opener two weeks ago.
However. their joy may be short-lived, they face the Miami Heat who stormed to their fifth win of the season with an impressive 105-96 away victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Luol Deng was the top scorer for the Heat with 30 points, proving that he’s a good enough replacement for LeBron James in this Miami squad.
The Heat are 9-1 in their last 10 meetings with the Pacers at American Airlines Arena.
You can read a complete preview of the game here.
Writer’s Prediction
The Heat clobber the Pacers 102-86. Create a betting account now and cash in on these exciting NBA games.
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