The Houston Rockets are making the rest of the NBA look foolish. They have won 14 consecutive games and have risen to the top record in the NBA in that span. The Golden State Warriors may still be the team to beat but Houston is on its tail and looking like the chief contender. The Rockets will look to stay hot when they host the Boston Celtics in a critical clash of top teams.
Boston is in a push to finish as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but has fallen behind the Raptors and would love to pull off a huge upset in this one. It seems hard to fathom as Houston is playing unbelievably well at the moment and has the benefit of the home court advantage.
Even though Boston has one of the top records in the NBA, look for it to be a significant underdog in this showdown.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Toyota Center at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 3, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on ABC.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Saturday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Celtics are 44-19 straight up and 37-24-2 against the spread. Boston has been great on the road this year, covering in 20 of 29 attempts. The Celtics have also been fantastic as the underdog this season, covering in 11 of 13 attempts.
The Rockets are 48-13 straight up and 32-28-1 against the spread. Houston is 12-17-1 against the spread at home on the year. The Rockets are 30-25-1 against the spread as the favorite on the season and have covered in four straight games within this winning streak.
Key Stat
14. Houston has put together one of the most impressive stretches of any NBA team this season with this long winning streak. The Rockets have captured nine of the games by double digits as they have really dominated many of the foes.
Houston has wins over the Spurs, Cavaliers, the Timberwolves twice, the Nuggets twice and several other playoff contenders during this streak. The Rockets have been good all season long, but hit mini lulls when either superstar guard James Harden or star point guard Chris Paul were injured.
The duo has been healthy for this stretch and the Rockets have been nearly unbeatable all season long with both in the lineup. Houston has won 18 of its past 19 games overall.
The Rockets’ lone loss in that span came on the road to the Pelicans, and that was only by two points.
Player To Watch
Kyrie Irving -- The Rockets boast the presumptive MVP in Harden as well as Paul, and the Celtics will need their star to show up big-time. Irving asked for a trade from the Cavaliers this offseason to get out from under the wing of LeBron James, and these are the types of games in which he can prove he has the ability to lead a team of his own deep into the postseason.
Irving is averaging 24.9 points, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. He is shooting an impressive 49.2 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range. He had 34 points on 13-of-18 shooting in an easy win over Charlotte last time out.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Celtics have done a really nice job exceeding expectations both on the road as the underdog this season. Both will be in play once again, and since the spread could be pretty big, it’s possible that it happens again.
Houston is going to win this game as it continues to roll along, but may not cover. If the spread is pitted too high, the “under” could be the right call.
NBA Odds: Rockets 114, Celtics 108
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
