Rockets vs. Spurs Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
The Rockets opened up their two-game series in San Antonio on Thursday with a 109-105 win over the Spurs, in Houston’s first game since trading James Harden, the day before, in a move that shocked the basketball world.
Houston’s win was their first in three games, while the Spurs have now dropped three of their last four games. Saturday’s tip-off is set for 5 p.m. EST.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Houston has struggled to put up points all season and it shows, as they have missed the over in six of their last seven games and have only hit it in three of 10 games, this year. That also translates to a poor record against the spread with the Rockets covering just twice at home and twice on the road.
The Spurs have been a little more consistent offensively, hitting the over in half of their games, this season, but they seem to struggle to score against Houston, missing the over in five of their last six games against the Rockets, including Thursday’s loss. San Antonio has also struggled to cover at home, going 2-3 against the spread in San Antonio and 5-2 ATS on the road.
Houston Rockets
If anyone still thinks Houston will miss James Harden, they should take a look at the Rockets’ win over San Antonio on Thursday. A day after Harden’s trade to the Nets, Christian Wood stepped up for Houston with 27 points and 15 rebounds in the first game of a back-to-back set with the Spurs. Sterling Brown, who moved up into Harden’s starting lineup spot, finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Jae’Sean Tate had 13 points, five rebounds and 10 assists.
John Wall (knee) and Eric Gordon (leg) both missed Thursday’s game and are listed as questionable for Saturday. Wall and Gordon are second and third in Houston scoring, averaging 18.6 and 14.3 points per game, respectively, while Wood leads the Rockets with 23.1 points per game.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs need a win on Saturday to stay above .500. Keldon Johnson finished with a career-high 29 points on Thursday, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Spurs from slipping to 6-6 on the year. After missing the last two games due to personal reasons, DeMar DeRozan had 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds in his return, but he missed a 15-footer with 0.4 seconds left and the Spurs picked up a foul, giving up two successful free throws to seal the loss. DeRozan leads the Spurs in points (20.4) and assists (7), while Johnson leads San Antonio in rebounds (7.3).
After LaMarcus Aldridge put up 11 points in Thursday’s loss, the Spurs dropped to 6-3 with him in the lineup, but lost all three games he sat out with a sore knee at the start of the year. Johnson has hit the 25-point mark twice this season, which is fourth most through the first 30 career games of any player in Spurs history.
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