The Houston Rockets (27-13) travel to face off against the Portland Trail Blazers (13-27) on Saturday, January 18th. This game will be played at Moda Center in Portland and televised on KATU. Both the Rockets and Trail Blazers will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 10:00 ET.
Rockets vs Trail Blazers
The Rockets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Houston fell to 27-13 on the season after a 132-127 road loss to the Kings on Thursday. Entering as +4.5 point underdogs, the Rockets not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points reached 259, well over the 224.5-point line.
Sacramento’s 10-0 run early in the game put Houston in a hole. The Rockets fought back, outscoring the Kings 33-29 in the 3rd quarter, but couldn’t close the gap in the 4th, where both teams scored 42 points.
The Trail Blazers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Portland’s season struggles continued on Thursday with a 118-89 home loss to the Clippers, dropping their record to 13-27. The Blazers were +7 point underdogs but failed to cover the spread, losing by 29 points. The combined score of 207 points fell short of the 220.5 O/U line.
Portland fell behind early, trailing 32-22 after the 1st quarter. Although they held the Clippers to 20 points in the 2nd quarter, an 11-0 run by the Clippers in the 3rd quarter put the game out of reach, and the Blazers were unable to mount a comeback in the 4th quarter.
Rockets Offense Breakdown
Jalen Green led the Rockets with 28 points and 4 made threes in their 132-127 loss to the Kings, shooting 50% from the field and from beyond the arc. Alperen Şengün contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 53.3% of his shots, while Amen Thompson added 20 points and 10 boards, shooting 66.7%.
Houston connected on 12 threes at a 36.4% rate, finishing with a 52.7% overall shooting percentage. Green scored 10 points in the 1st quarter, and added 9 more in both the 3rd and 4th quarters, while Tari Eason put up 9 of his 16 points in the 3rd and another 7 in the final period.
Trail Blazers Offense Breakdown
The Trail Blazers struggled offensively in their loss to the Clippers, shooting just 37.4% from the field and 26.5% from beyond the arc, hitting only 9 threes. Dalano Banton led the way with 23 points, connecting on 4 threes at a 50% rate.
Banton scored 14 of his points in the 3rd quarter, while Scoot Henderson added 16 points, with 9 coming in the 2nd. Deandre Ayton contributed 14 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 53.8% from the field.
Rockets Team Defense
Defensively, the Rockets struggled in the 2nd and 4th quarters, giving up 35 and 42 points, respectively, in their 132-127 loss to the Kings. Overall, they allowed Sacramento to shoot 50% from the field.
From beyond the arc, the Rockets allowed the Kings to hit 14 threes at a 42% clip. Houston sent Sacramento to the line 22 times, where they made 20 free throws. The Rockets finished with 10 steals and 6 blocks.
Trail Blazers Team Defense
Defensively, the Rockets struggled in the 2nd and 4th quarters, giving up 35 and 42 points, respectively, in their 132-127 loss to the Kings. Sacramento shot 50% from the field.
Houston allowed 14 threes on 42% shooting from deep. The Kings also went 20/22 from the free-throw line. The Rockets finished with 10 steals and 6 blocks.
Rockets vs Trail Blazers Trends
- Across their last five road contests, Houston has been good against the spread posting a mark of 4-1. Their overall mark in these games was 4-1, while averaging 127 points per game.
- Through their last ten home contests, the Trail Blazers offense has averaged 107 points per game while allowing an average of 114. Portland posted an overall record of 2-8 while going 5-5 ATS.
- The last three games that Portland was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 0-3 straight up.
- As the betting favorite, the Rockets have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 3-0.
Rockets vs Trail Blazers Prediction
Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +11, the Trail Blazers is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 224.5, and our model predicts the Rockets and Trail Blazers to score a combined 257 points. We recommend betting on 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 18, 2025 Portland Trail Blazers, Rockets