Houston Rockets (27-35) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (17-44)
NBA betting action takes place on Friday, March 8, 2024, with the Houston Rockets taking on the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference clash at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, with tipoff at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Houston and Portland face each other for the second time in 2023-2024. The Trail Blazers defeated the Rockets 137-131 in overtime on January 24. Houston is a 4.5-point road favorite entering Friday’s game, while the total stands at 218.5 points.
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Rockets hoping for another gem from Sengun
The Houston Rockets (27-35; 32-28-2 ATS) are coming off a 122-116 home loss Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers. After a couple of wins against the Phoenix Suns 118-109 and against the San Antonio Spurs, the Rockets started losing again, blowing a ten-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Alperen Sengun went crazy against Spurs last Tuesday. He had 45 points, 16 rebounds, five steals and three assists. Sengun tripled up against the Clippers, scoring 23 points, 19 rebounds and 14 assists, but it wasn’t enough.
reverse back door for Amen ???? pic.twitter.com/dmEISONKIm
-Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 7, 2024
The Rockets have won just four of their previous 14 games. They are 12th in the Western Conference, six games behind the No. 10 seed. The Rockets score 112.9 points per 100 possessions (24th in the championship) while giving up 113.0 points in return (7th).
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Blazers hope to end two-game skid
The Portland Trail Blazers (17-44; 29-32 ATS) opened a six-game home series last Wednesday. They lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 128-120, covering a gap of 13.5 points. It was their second straight loss, as the Trail Blazers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-114 last Monday.
Portland made 50.6% of its field goals against OKC. However, the Blazers struggled to defend, allowing 39 free throws to their rivals. Anfernee Simmons led the charge for the Trail Blazers with 29 points and five assists, and Jerami Grant totaled 20 points and four dimes.
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– Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) March 7, 2024
The Trail Blazers are 14th in the West. They have lost 11 of their previous 13 matches. The Blazers rank 29thth in the league in adjusted offensive efficiency (109.1 points per 100 possessions) and 21st in adjusted defensive efficiency (117.3).
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Best bets for this game
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I expect the Rockets to win because of their defense. Additionally, the Trail Blazers could be missing Deandre Ayton (hand), and his possible absence will allow Alperen Sengun to dominate in the paint. The Rockets are still alive in the playoff race, so they should be very motivated to beat the lowly Trail Blazers. Both teams struggle to score and Houston is arguably a better defensive team than Portland.
The Trail Blazers are 4-0 SU and ATS in their last four meetings with the Rockets. This streak will end as soon as possible. Portland is winless in eight straight games at the Moda Center, going 1-7 ATS in the process.
Prediction: Take the Houston Rockets -4.5 (-110)
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The Rockets are 28th in the league in field goal percentage (45.6%) and the Trail Blazers are right behind them (44.1%). As I mentioned, both of these teams struggle to score, so I have to take the under even though the line was set pretty low.
Houston won’t hesitate to push the ball in transition, but Portland will look to slow things down. The Blazers are 23rd in the NBA in pace (97.6 possessions per 48 minutes) and 21st in 3-point rate (37.2). Additionally, Portland is 27th in turnover percentage (13.2%) and fourth in defensive turnover percentage (13.4%).
Prediction: Go below 218.5 points (-110)
