This will be the first of two road trips to strong Eastern Conference teams, the second being against number seed Detroit Pistons. Houston have struggled on the road (11-12) compared to an impressive (15-3) home record. They will also have to navigate tonight without Steven Adams in the backup centre position after he suffered an ankle sprain against New Orleans Pelicans. This will disrupt one of the core foundations of their success this season, rebounding. Houston lead the NBA with 49 rebounds per game. In their victory over San Antonio on Tuesday night, they were out rebounded by 45-43 which highlights the drop off.
Philadelphia has been up and down this season. They have an impressive roster on paper when everyone is available, but have struggled to find consistent rotations and have been plagued by injuries. Tyrese Maxey has been reliable for Philadelphia since the season tip off late October. He has played 40 out of 42 matches, averaging 30 points & 6.7 assists per game. But he has slowed down in his last 5 games, averaging just 23.6 points on 41% FG. Philadelphia rank in the top 10 for defensive rating in their last 15 matches, and they look well organised despite changing rotations.
Betting Markets:
- Houston Rockets ML (-143)/Philadelphia 76ers ML (+110)
- Houston Rockets -2.5 pts (-110)/Philadelphia 76ers +2.5 pts (-110)
- Over 221.5 pts (-110)/Under 221.5 pts (-110)
Our Prediction:
Houston are on a 3 game winning run and Philadelphia’s home record is nothing to be feared at 11-12. A lot of tonight will depend on how well Houston can control the boards because they are likely to shut off Maxey’s free flowing scoring ability.
Recent Form:
Injury Report:
Houston Rockets: Fred VanVleet (Out), Steven Adams (Out), Aaron Holiday (Out)
Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid (Probable), Paul George (Questionable)