The Los Angeles Clippers prevented sliding down the Western Conference even further after successfully stopping their four-game losing streak with a win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. The Houston Rockets, on the other hand, continued to buck the absence of Dwight Howard, winning their fifth in seven games all without the big man by beating the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
Which team will head to the All-Star Break on a positive note? Read on more about this matchup below or check out our full game preview of tonight’s Heat vs. Cavaliers game.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers Betting Preview
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles
When: Wednesday, February 11, 10:30 PM ET
Line: Houston Rockets (+3.5) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (-3.5); total: 213.0 — view all NBA lines
Betting on the Houston Rockets
[sc:NBA240banner ]James Harden is making sure the MVP selection committee doesn’t forget his name come voting time. Harden carried the Rockets on his back once again, scoring 40 points—20 in the fourth period—to lead Houston to a 127-118 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Houston, though, may have failed to overcome the Suns if not for the ample contributions of some key reserves such as Josh Smith.
Smith has been a stabilizing force in the frontline lately, helping the Rockets mitigate the impact of Dwight Howard’s absence. Smith has ramped up his production, averaging 16.7 PPG and 7.0 RPG over Houston’s last three games. He scored 20 points and added six rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes off the bench versus Phoenix.
The Rockets, however, remains a Harden-driven team and they’ll go as far as where the bearded assassin will take them, especially while Howard is out. Harden has been an unstoppable offensive force in Houston’s last two games, scoring 45 points in Sunday’s loss to Portland before going off again in the Phoenix game.
That said, Harden was not his usual self last time these two teams met, scoring just 16 in Houston’s 102-85 loss to the Clippers on November 28.
In that game, the Rockets fell in love with the three-point shot, as they went 10-for-37 from beyond the arc. Houston can be more efficient on offense if the team tries to settle for closer shots. Despite not having Howard on the floor, the Rockets have been among the best inside scorers in the league recently, averaging a fifth-best 43.7 points in the paint per game over the last seven games.
The Rockets are 4-1 in their previous five games.
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Betting on the Los Angeles Clippers
Following consecutive blowout losses to the Toronto Raptors and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Clippers were in need of a morale-boosting victory. They got one on Monday, when they dealt the Dallas Mavericks a 115-98 whooping.
The Clippers entered the Dallas game fresh off hearing the news that top scorer Blake Griffin will miss at least three weeks due to a staph infection.
Griffin was a vital cog in the Clips’ November win over Houston as he scored 30 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Now that he’s out, expect Doc Rivers to continue inserting Spencer Hawes as Griffin’s replacement in the starting unit. Hawes finished with just four points and one rebound in 14 minutes against Dallas, but those underwhelming outputs were largely because of DeAndre Jordan’s soul-crushing dominance.
With Tyson Chandler out for most of the ball game, Jordan played like a man possessed, putting up 22 points and 27 rebounds, including 11 on the offensive glass. Don’t be surprised to see him wreak havoc in the paint once again as the Rockets won’t have their top big man in Howard to help contain Jordan.
When the Clippers beat Houston back in November, the Rockets were also missing Howard, paving the way for Jordan to haul down a game-high 13 rebounds to go along with only seven points. Jordan is averaging 13.0 PPG and 14.7 RPG over the Clippers’ last three games.
The Clippers are 6-0 SU and 4-2 ATS in their last six home games against Houston.
Writer’s Prediction
The Clippers win, but the Rockets cover +3.5 in a close one.
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