The Houston Rockets (30-14) travel to face off against the Boston Celtics (32-14) on Monday, January 27th. This game will be played at TD Garden in Boston and televised on NBCS. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 7:30 ET.
Rockets vs Celtics
The Rockets Are Coming Off A Win
The Rockets improved to 30-14 this season with a 135-131 win over the Cavaliers on Saturday. Houston, who were +4.5 point underdogs, not only won but also covered the spread. The game’s total of 266 points exceeded the O/U line of 230 by 36 points.
Houston built a commanding 101-84 lead through three quarters, winning each of the first three quarters (33-27, 35-27, and 33-30). However, the Cavaliers made a strong push in the 4th quarter, outscoring the Rockets 47-34, but Houston held on for the win.
The Celtics Are Coming Off A Win
Boston improved to 32-14 with a 122-107 road win over the Mavericks on Saturday. The Celtics, favored by 8.5 points, covered the spread, while the game’s total of 229 points narrowly exceeded the O/U line of 226.5.
After trailing 29-25 after the 1st quarter, Boston took control by outscoring Dallas 34-20 in the 2nd. The Celtics extended their lead to 96-76 by the end of the 3rd, but not before the Mavericks made an 11-0 run to cut the score from 59-46 to 59-57. Dallas outscored Boston 31-26 in the 4th, but the Celtics’ lead was too much to overcome.
Rockets Offense Breakdown
The Rockets shot 54.9% from the field and 46.4% from three-point range, hitting 13 threes in their 135-131 win over the Cavaliers. Alperen Şengün and Jalen Green both scored 26 points, with Green knocking down 5 threes at a 45.5% clip.
Amen Thompson contributed 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists, scoring 14 points in the 4th quarter. Fred VanVleet added 8 of his 20 points in the final period, while Steven Adams scored 8 of his 14 points in the 3rd quarter.
Celtics Offense Breakdown
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 24 points in their win over the Mavericks, despite shooting just 36.4% from the field. Derrick White added 23 points, with 16 of those coming in the 3rd quarter, and Jaylen Brown contributed 22 points.
Boston hit 20 threes, shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc and 42.7% overall. Tatum and White each made 4 threes, with Tatum shooting 33.3% from deep and White hitting 40% of his attempts.
Rockets Team Defense
Despite giving up 131 points, the Rockets managed to hold off the Cavaliers on Saturday. They allowed 27 points in both the 1st and 2nd quarters, and 30 in the 3rd, but Cleveland exploded for 47 points in the 4th. Houston’s defense struggled overall, allowing the Cavaliers to shoot 51% from the field.
The Rockets also had trouble defending the three, as Cleveland hit 17 threes at a 43% clip. Houston sent the Cavaliers to the line 26 times, where they made 20 free throws. The Rockets gave up 10 offensive rebounds while recording 5 steals and 4 blocks.
Celtics Team Defense
Even with a rough defensive performance, the Rockets managed to come out on top against the Cavaliers. Houston allowed 131 points, including 47 in the 4th quarter, while Cleveland shot 51% from the field. The Rockets gave up 27 points in both the 1st and 2nd quarters and 30 in the 3rd.
From beyond the arc, the Cavaliers hit 17 threes at a 43% clip. Cleveland also went 20/26 from the free-throw line. The Rockets grabbed 31 defensive rebounds, allowed 10 offensive boards, and recorded 5 steals and 4 blocks.
Rockets vs Celtics Trends
- When looking at their past three road matchups, Houston has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 129 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
- Across the Celtics last three home games, the team averaged 111 points per game while allowing 112. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-2, while going 2-1 straight-up.
- Houston has done well both straight up and vs the spread as the underdog, going 3-2 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five games.
- Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Celtics have a straight up record of 6-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 4-6.
Rockets vs Celtics Prediction
The Celtics is our pick to not only win with a projected score of 138-118. But we also favor them to cover the spread. Our bet is on the Celtics at -6.5.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 222 and given that our model is projecting 256 points between the teams, we like the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 27, 2025 Celtics, Rockets