Who’s playing
Washington Wizards @ Houston Rockets
Current records: Washington 11-54, Houston 30-35
How to watch
- When: Thursday March 14, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET
- Or: Toyota Center – Houston, TX
- TV: Monumental Sports Network
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Online broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $19.49
What there is to know
The Washington Wizards will hit the road to face the Houston Rockets on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at the Toyota Center. After losing a game that the Wizards were expected to win, they now face the toughest task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.
It’s hard to win when you’re outscored 17-4 on offense, a fact the Wizards found out the hard way on Tuesday. They took a 109-97 hit in the loss column at the hands of Memphis.
Unsurprisingly, given the score, the Wizards struggled to get the ball on offense and finished the game with just four offensive rebounds. They are between 2 and 12 years old when they can’t control their own glass like that.
Meanwhile, the Rockets had already won two in a row (a stretch in which they outscored their opponents by an average of 12 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team defeated San Antonio 103-101.
Washington has been on a rocky road recently after losing 17 of its last 19 games, which took a major dent in its 11-54 record this season. As for Houston, their victory was their fourth in a row on the road, which improved their record to 30-35.
In this competition, the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: the Wizards haven’t given up the ball easily this season, averaging just 13.4 turnovers per game. However, it’s not like the Rockets struggled in that department as they averaged just 12.4 turnovers per game. Given these competing forces, it will be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Wizards fell short against the Rockets in their previous matchup in April 2023, losing 114-109. Can the Wizards avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll know soon enough.
Odds
Houston is big favorite with 7.5 points against Washington, according to the latest NBA Odds.
Oddsmakers had a good idea of the line for this one, as the game opened with the Rockets as 8-point favorites.
The over/under is 226 points.
See NBA Pick for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Houston has won 7 of its last 10 games against Washington.
- April 9, 2023 – Houston 114 vs. Washington 109
- January 25, 2023 – Washington 108 vs. Houston 103
- March 21, 2022 – Houston 115 vs. Washington 97
- January 5, 2022 – Houston 114 vs. Washington 111
- February 15, 2021 – Washington 131 vs. Houston 119
- January 26, 2021 – Houston 107 vs. Washington 88
- October 30, 2019 – Houston 159 vs. Washington 158
- December 19, 2018 – Houston 136 vs. Washington 118
- November 26, 2018 – Washington 135 vs. Houston 131
- April 3, 2018 – Houston 120 vs. Washington 104
