Just when the Houston Rockets began to find their groove, another key injury hit. Star point Chris Paul is out with a hamstring injury which is going to put a dent into the team’s hopes at moving up the standings in the Western Conference. Houston still has star James Harden leading the way but the supporting cast will need to step up. The Rockets will host the Boston Celtics this week in a crucial matchup for both sides.
Boston is the much deeper team but the Rockets are at home, and if Harden dominates a Houston victory isn’t out of the question. Neither of these teams has lived up to expectations thus far on the season and are hoping to turn it around.
This is an important contest for both sides in NBA gambling.
This NBA basketball game between the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets will be held at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 27th, 2018. The game will be nationally televised on TNT.
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Odds Analysis
The Celtics have been hot lately and have surged to a record of 19-13 on the season. They were the Eastern Conference favorites before the season began but have some work to do in order to catch some of the teams above them. Boston has gone 9-8 on the road this season and would be happy to pick up a win in this one.
The Rockets are 17-15 on the season. They have also played well of late but the loss of Paul has a chance to torpedo that recent push. Houston is in the middle of a large clump of teams in the West battling for playoff positioning and needs to stay afloat during this stretch. The Rockets are usually solid at home and the location should give them a chance to win in NBA betting.
Player To Watch
Gordon Hayward -- The Celtics were picked to win the Eastern Conference because they made a deep run last year despite season-ending injuries to Kyrie Irving and Hayward. Both returned for this season and while Irving is back to his star form, Hayward is not playing up to expectations.
He is returning from a severe leg injury so maybe there was just rust early on but Hayward has looked out of sorts all year. He is averaging 10.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Hayward is averaging more than four points less than in his career and is shooting only 41.4 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three-point range. If Boston is to truly emerge as a championship contender, it seems like Hayward will need to return to from that made him a star with the Utah Jazz. Hayward hopes to have a nice game in this one but it’s certainly not guaranteed.
Key Stat
One. That’s the number of wins the Rockets have without Paul this season in six attempts after finally beating the Spurs last time out. Even though Harden is the superstar, Paul is a huge piece of the equation and his absence really messes with the team on the offensive end of the court.
Paul could miss two weeks with a hamstring injury and Houston has to figure out a way to weather his absence. Harden is scoring more than 31 points per game this year but the complementary pieces are not getting the job done, especially when Paul is not in the mix.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Celtics are the much deeper team, but the Rockets are at home and have the best player on the court. This should be a good game, but in the end Boston’s defense should be too tough. Houston has a superstar but the Celtics are going to have a nice team effort which is going to result in a road victory.
Check to see which team is favored in this one. If Boston is the underdog roll with it on the moneyline in NBA wagering.
NBA ATS Pick: Boston Celtics 107, Houston Rockets 103
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