Twice already this month, these two teams have squared off and twice, the Trail Blazers have not only beaten Houston, but covered the spread as well.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
Both teams are streaking a bit, but for the Rockets, that’s not a good thing as they’re just 3-6 SU and 4-5 ATS in their last nine games.
For the Blazers, it’s a much different story. Both teams have underperformed this year—at least early—but Portland is turning the tide. They’re now a couple games over-.500 overall and in position to make a run at the playoffs.
The Trail Blazers are where they are now thanks to a 10-1 mark in their last 11 games. Overall, Portland is 32-24 ATS, including 17-12 ATS at home. They’ve also covered in five straight games and nine of 11.
WHEN THE HOUSTON ROCKETS ARE ON OFFENSE
The Rockets are scoring 105.2 PPG to rank fifth in the NBA. They’re shooting percentages and rebounding stats are below that, but Houston is a fast-paced team able to put points on the board in bunches.
Of course, Houston wouldn’t be nearly the offensive force it is without the services of James Harden. Ranked just behind Stephen Curry, he’s second in the NBA in scoring with 28 PPG and has been a consistent producer even when the team around him struggles.
In a pair of losses to Portland earlier this month, Harden combined to score 67 points. He was the model of consistency, putting up 33 and 34 points each game. While he was consistent, the rest of the team was not.
In the first loss to Portland, Houston scored just 79-points. They bounced back to put up 103 in the next game.
In the game where they scored only 79, the Rockets got 33 from Harden, 17 from Dwight Howard and little else. Watch the rest of the team early. If they’re unable to get off shots—and sink them, fade Houston, even if Harden and Howard have handed the Rockets an early lead.
Howard is another key piece. He’s shooting 61.3 percent from the floor and has 11.9 RPG. He’s more reliable than Mason Plumlee and sees more time on the floor.
With Houston having seen Portland a couple times now, expect the offense to continue to improve. After all, the Blazers’ defense is just average, allowing 102.1 PPG.
WHEN THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ARE ON OFFENSE
For Portland, the offense centers on the backcourt where, like Harden for the Rockets, Damian Lillard leads the way in scoring with 25 PPG.
Alongside, Lillard, however, the Blazers have C.J. McCollum as a strong number two scoring 20.9 PPG.
In general, don’t expect too much up front with most of Portland’s success coming on the perimeter. Plumlee is a solid player underneath, as is Al-Farouq Aminu, but they figure to be overmatched a bit against Howard, Trevor Ariza and Terrence Jones.
Despite that, Aminu and Maurice Harkless combined for 30 points in their 116-103 win over the Rockets back on February 10. In that game, the Blazers beat the Rockets in fast break points, but points in the paint were neck and neck.
Look to see how well the Blazers can thrive from the outside. They’ve been the better shooting team behind the arc in their previous meetings and will need to do so again to cover the spread. Houston has the inside locked up so if it’s able to slow Lillard and McCollum, fade Portland at home in this rematch.
BETTING TRENDS AND MATCHUPS
It’s always fun when a couple of the games’ best at a position meet and that’s exactly what we have here with James Harden and Damian Lillard, ranked second and sixth respectively in the NBA in points scored.
Considering both teams boast top-10 offenses and an average at best defense, count on this being a high scoring affair. The over could be a nice bet with it paying out in each of the Blazers’ last four games and the Rockets’ last three. The over is also 16-13 in Portland home games and 17-10 in Houston road games.
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The contest pitting the Houston Rockets versus the Portland Trail Blazers will commence Thursday, February 25, 2016, at 10:30 p.m. ET at the Moda Center. The contest will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
