The Phoenix Suns (33-23) travel to face off against the Houston Rockets (24-31) on Friday, February 23rd. This game will be played at Toyota Center in Houston and televised on Spac. Both the Suns and Rockets will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 8:00 ET.
Suns vs Rockets
The Suns Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
In their latest game against the Mavericks, Devin Booker was the top scorer for the Suns’ offense, scoring 35 points and shooting 13/21 from the field. While Kevin Durant was 2nd on the team with 23 points, Phoenix fell short in the game with a final score of 123-113.
In the Western Conference, the Suns are 7th overall and are 2nd in the Pacific division. They have a 33-23 record and have gone 2-1 in their last three games.
Phoenix has an overall ATS record of 23-32 as they come into today’s game. In their last four home games, Phoenix has successfully covered the spread, and they maintain an ATS record of 11-17 at home compared to 12-15 on the road.
The Rockets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
The Rockets were defeated by the Pelicans in the most recent game, concluding with a score of 127-105. The Rockets turned the game around and came out on top, despite being in a trailing position at halftime with 63-50.
So far this season, the Rockets are 24-31 overall and are 1-2 in their last three games. Against Western Conference opponents, the Rockets are 16-15 compared to 8-16 in non-conference games.
Currently, Houston holds an above .500 ATS record of 28-26 so far this year. This season, Houston has a 12-7 record against the spread when they are favored, and they are 16-19 when playing as underdogs.
Suns Offense Breakdown
The Suns arrive for today’s game as one of the NBA’s top offensive teams, scoring an average of 117.5 points per game (12th).
On the road this season, the Suns are averaging 117.4 points per game, which is 9th in the league. Overall, they are 12th in scoring at 117.5 points per game. Phoenix has outscored the NBA scoring average in 55.4% of their games.
When it comes to pace, the Suns are 15th in the NBA at 98.5 possessions per game. In terms of field goal percentage, they are 3rd in the league at 49%. From beyond the arc, Phoenix is 7th in three-point shooting at 37%.
So far this season, the Suns have made an average of 11.9 three-pointers per game, which is 22nd in the NBA. In terms of assists, they are 15th at 26.7 per game. When it comes to free throws, Phoenix is 3rd in the league at 20.3 made free throws per game.
Rockets Offense Breakdown
Houston has recorded an average of 113.2 points per game (21st) throughout 55 games games.
At home, the Rockets are averaging 115.2 points per game, which is 17th in the league. Overall, they are 21st in scoring at 113.2 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage, the Rockets are 25th in the NBA at 46%. They are also 26th in true shooting percentage.
So far this season, the Rockets have outscored the NBA scoring average in 38.2% of their games. In terms of pace, Houston is 13th in the league at 99.3 possessions per game. When it comes to two-point shooting, the Rockets are 25th in the NBA at 52%.
From beyond the arc, the Rockets are 28th in three-point shooting percentage at 35%. They are 15th in three-point attempts per game and 21st in made threes at 12.1 per contest. In terms of assists, Houston is 26th in the league with 24.9 per game.
Suns Team Defense
At present, the Suns’ defense is ranked 15th, allowing 114.5 points per game. In their previous game, the Suns’ defense struggled against the Mavericks, giving up 123 points on a field goal percentage of 48%.
Rockets Team Defense
Although the Rockets’ defense is 10th in the league defensively this season, over their last three games they have allowed 117 points per contest, which is 8th in the NBA. The Rockets defense is coming off a game in which they held the Pelicans offense to just 43.9% shooting. Overall, they gave up 127 points to New Orleans.
Key Players For The Suns And Rockets
In today’s game, we anticipate Kevin Durant leading the scoring for the Suns, contributing 27 points while shooting 9/18 from the field. For the season, he has been averaging 28.1 points per game, in addition to 6.6 rebounds.
On the other side, Alperen Sengün is our projected leading scorer for the Rockets. We have him ending the game with a team-high 19 and grabbing 9 rebounds. This season, he has put together a field goal percentage of 54.2%, and he is contributing 21.1 points per game on average.
Suns vs Rockets Trends
- Through their last three road contests, the Suns offense has averaged 121 points per game while allowing an average of 116. Phoenix posted an overall record of 1-2 while going 1-2 ATS.
- When looking at their past three home matchups, Houston has an ATS record of 0-3 while averaging 110 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Rockets have a straight up record of 1-9. Their record vs the spread in these games was 4-6.
- As the betting favorite, the Suns have an ATS record of 4-1 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 4-1.
Suns vs Rockets Prediction
The Rockets come in as the underdog at +3.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 230 and given that our model is projecting 249 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:February 23, 2024 Rockets, Suns