rockets vs cavaliers nba betting prediction
PublishedDecember 18, 2023,            Posted By: Maria Uebelhor
Last updated:December 18, 2023 , ,

NBA: Rockets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction 12/18/2023

The Houston Rockets (13-10) travel to face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers (14-12) on Monday, December 18th. This game will be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Cavaliers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Rockets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Hawks. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Rockets vs Cavaliershouston rockets nba

The Rockets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their most recent game, the Rockets fell to the Bucks by a score of 128-119. Despite being behind at halftime 71-60, the Rockets picked up the win.

In their last five games, the Rockets are 4-1 and have an overall record of 13-10. When facing other Western Conference teams, the Rockets are 12-8 compared to a 1-2 record in non-conference games.

Houston currently has an ATS record of 16-6, placing them above .500 against the spread. Houston has gone 6-0 against the spread this season when they are the favorites, and they are 10-6 when playing as underdogs.

The Cavaliers Are Coming Off A Win

The Cavaliers won vs. the Hawks in their most recent game, ending with a score of 127-119. The Cavaliers not only won the game but also covered the spread as -4.5-point favorites. The over/under line heading into this matchup was 236 points in which the two teams surpassed.

The Cavaliers come into today’s game with an overall record of 14-12 and have gone 1-2 in their last three games. In the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers are currently 8th and are 3rd in the Central division.

Cleveland’s ATS record is currently below .500 at 11-13 for the season. Currently, the Cavaliers have a three game ATS win streak when they are favored, and they are 5-4 against the spread as underdogs.

Rockets Offense Breakdown

This season, the Houston offense is ranked 27th in the NBA in scoring at 109.9 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Rockets will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 12.3 made 3’s per game. Not only is the Houston offense struggling with their outside shot, but they are also getting to the charity stripe at a below average rate. So far, they are the 15th ranked team in made free-throws per contest.

Cavaliers Offense Breakdowncleveland cavaliers

The Cavaliers come into today’s game as the 24th ranked scoring offense at 111.1 points per game. So far, the Cavaliers are averaging 98 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Not only does the team’s offense play at a slower pace, but they their overall lack of efficiency has them ranked 17th in made field goals per game.

Rockets Team Defense

At this time, the Rockets’ defense is positioned 2nd in the NBA, permitting 106.1 points per game.

Opponents are hitting 52.1% of their two-point field goal attempts this season, and they’re also connecting on 31.1% of their three-point attempts.

Cavaliers Team Defense

At present, the Cavaliers’ defense is ranked 8th, allowing 111.2 points per game.

When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Cavaliers squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 51.8% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 35.8% from downtown.

Key Players For The Rockets And Cavaliers

The outlook for today’s matchup points to Alperen Sengün as the primary point contributor for the Rockets, finishing with 16 points while maintaining a 6/12 shooting accuracy. During this season, he is delivering an average of 19.7 points per game, along with 9 rebounds.

On the flip side, our predictions place Donovan Mitchell as the leading scorer for the Cavaliers. We expect him to conclude the game with a team-high 19 while also collecting 6 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 44.9%, and his scoring average is 27.3 points per game.

Rockets vs Cavaliers Trends

  • In their last three road games, Houston has averaged 112 points per game while allowing 110. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
  • Although Cleveland has a straight up record of 5-5 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 5-3-2. The team averaged 112 points per game in these games.
  • Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Rockets have a straight up record of 3-7. Their record vs the spread in these games was 6-3-1.
  • As the betting favorite, the Cavaliers have an ATS mark of just 4-5-1 in their last ten games. Cleveland posted a straight up mark of 7-3 in these matchups.

Rockets vs Cavaliers Prediction

In this Cavaliers vs. Cavaliers matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Rockets at +5. While we project the Cavaliers to win 109-106, our recommendation is to bet on the Rockets for the point-spread.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 214, and our model projects the Rockets and Cavaliers to reach a combined total of 215 points. Our bet is on taking 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.