The Houston Rockets have been the best team in the NBA this season, but the Portland Trail Blazers are the hottest. Portland has won 12 straight games to vault into the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and would love to keep rolling in a primetime matchup against the Rockets next time out.
Houston has dominated all year and is zeroing in on the top record in the league, which would give it home court throughout the playoffs. The Blazers are in a good spot in the standings but there are still several teams hot on their trail so there is not much room to let up.
These are two of the best teams in the NBA and this game means a lot to both sides so it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Moda Center at 10:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 20, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Tuesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Rockets are 56-14 straight up and 37-32-1 against the spread. Houston has covered in 24 of 37 road games this season so consider that when the spread comes out in NBA basketball odds. The Rockets are 35-29-1 against the spread as the favorite and will likely be a slight one in this matchup.
The Trail Blazers are 43-26 straight up and 39-26-4 against the spread. Portland has gone 20-13-3 against the spread at home on the season. The Blazers are 14-9-1 against the spread as the underdog.
Matchup to Watch
Chris Paul vs. Damian Lillard -- Each side has a star guard leading the way, although they get the job done in different ways. Lillard is one of the premier scorers in the NBA, averaging 26.8 points per game on 44.2 percent shooting from the field and 37.6 percent shooting from three-point range.
He is adding 6.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game. Lillard has been the big catalyst behind Portland’s outstanding play of late.
James Harden is the big-time scorer for the Rockets, and Paul is more of a facilitator. He is averaging 18.7 points, 8.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds per contest. He is a good defender, averaging 1.8 steals per contest, and will aim to keep Lillard in check.
The addition of Paul has pushed the Rockets into the top tier of NBA teams and he will aim to at least play Lillard to a draw, which would be a big boost for Houston.
Key Stat
3. That’s the number of games the Rockets sit ahead of the Warriors for the top seed in the West and the best record in the NBA. Few thought they would beat out Golden State for the league’s top mark when the season began, but the Rockets have been fantastic all season.
The Warriors are dealing with a bunch of injuries and seem unlikely to make a serious run at Houston down the stretch. The Rockets can really solidify their chances by winning a game like this against a top team on the road.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Blazers are a good team playing at home, so they will have a chance to win this game. However, the Rockets are on a different level. This game should be close throughout as Lillard and Harden will continue to trade big-time shots.
The Rockets have the superior depth, which will make up for playing on the road. Take Houston to win this game, but consider Portland as a possibility against the NBA basketball spread if it comes in too high in favor of the Rockets. Prepare for the scoring total to be really high as the pace could be breakneck from start to finish.
NBA Odds: Rockets 121, Trail Blazers 119
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