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Wednesday, February 25
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Game of the Day: Clippers at Rockets
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Los Angeles Clippers at Houston Rockets (-3.5, 215)
The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers have made dramatic upgrades to their rosters in recent years, but it’s the Clippers who still have Houston’s number heading into their matchup Wednesday night. They’ve won six straight and nine of the last 10 against the Rockets, most recently on Feb. 11 in Los Angeles, as the Clippers held NBA-leading James Harden to nine points in the 110-95 victory. Harden is coming off his second triple-double of the season as Houston has won two straight.
It's fair to guess Harden will be hyped to redeem himself after his latest performance against the Clippers. On the other side, Chris Paul had 30 points and 11 assists and helped the Clippers rally from eight points down with 2 1/2 minutes left Monday against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies to within one with 1:09 on the clock, but he’ll have a sour taste in his mouth after missing a short jumper and committing a turnover in the final 37 seconds of the 90-87 loss. The turnover was reminiscent of the giveaway Paul had late in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series last April against the Golden State Warriors, a game Golden State went on to win by four points.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), ROOT (Houston)
LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Rockets as 3.5-point faves, which is where it was sitting at the time of writing.
INJURY REPORT: Clippers - F Blake Griffin (Early March, elbow). Rockets - G Patrick Beverley (Questionable, illness), F Kostas Papanikolaou (Questionable, ankle), C Dwight Howard (Mid March, knee).
POWER RANKINGS: Clippers (-11) - Rockets (-8.5) + home court (-3.0) = Rockets -0.5
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (37-20 SU, 24-33 ATS, 26-28-3 O/U): Los Angeles is 24-5 when J.J. Redick scores at least 15 points this season and his production was sorely missed against the Grizzlies. He scored eight points on 3-for-12 from the field, including 1-for-6 from beyond the 3-point arc. Until leading scorer Blake Griffin returns from elbow surgery in a couple weeks, the Clippers will need a little extra from their remaining starters and Redick is the first one they’ll look to after Paul.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (38-18 SU, 32-24 ATS, 26-30 O/U): Houston was without starting point guard Patrick Beverley (flu-like symptoms) and backup forward Kostas Papanikolaou (sprained right ankle) in Monday's win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but it seems like the Rockets have been playing shorthanded most of the season. Jason Terry started in the backcourt alongside Harden on Monday and Ricky Rubio racked up four steals as neither Terry nor Harden are true point guards. If Beverley is unable to go against the Clippers, it will be interesting to see if the Rockets stick with Terry, or go with a more natural ball handler against Paul, who has been one of the top steals producers in the league the last several years.
TRENDS:
* Clippers are 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Rockets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games.
* Over is 5-2 in Clippers last seven overall.
* Favorite is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings
CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 61 percent of the betting public is on the Rockets.
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Wednesday, February 25
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Game of the Day: Clippers at Rockets
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Los Angeles Clippers at Houston Rockets (-3.5, 215)
The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers have made dramatic upgrades to their rosters in recent years, but it’s the Clippers who still have Houston’s number heading into their matchup Wednesday night. They’ve won six straight and nine of the last 10 against the Rockets, most recently on Feb. 11 in Los Angeles, as the Clippers held NBA-leading James Harden to nine points in the 110-95 victory. Harden is coming off his second triple-double of the season as Houston has won two straight.
It's fair to guess Harden will be hyped to redeem himself after his latest performance against the Clippers. On the other side, Chris Paul had 30 points and 11 assists and helped the Clippers rally from eight points down with 2 1/2 minutes left Monday against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies to within one with 1:09 on the clock, but he’ll have a sour taste in his mouth after missing a short jumper and committing a turnover in the final 37 seconds of the 90-87 loss. The turnover was reminiscent of the giveaway Paul had late in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series last April against the Golden State Warriors, a game Golden State went on to win by four points.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), ROOT (Houston)
LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Rockets as 3.5-point faves, which is where it was sitting at the time of writing.
INJURY REPORT: Clippers - F Blake Griffin (Early March, elbow). Rockets - G Patrick Beverley (Questionable, illness), F Kostas Papanikolaou (Questionable, ankle), C Dwight Howard (Mid March, knee).
POWER RANKINGS: Clippers (-11) - Rockets (-8.5) + home court (-3.0) = Rockets -0.5
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (37-20 SU, 24-33 ATS, 26-28-3 O/U): Los Angeles is 24-5 when J.J. Redick scores at least 15 points this season and his production was sorely missed against the Grizzlies. He scored eight points on 3-for-12 from the field, including 1-for-6 from beyond the 3-point arc. Until leading scorer Blake Griffin returns from elbow surgery in a couple weeks, the Clippers will need a little extra from their remaining starters and Redick is the first one they’ll look to after Paul.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (38-18 SU, 32-24 ATS, 26-30 O/U): Houston was without starting point guard Patrick Beverley (flu-like symptoms) and backup forward Kostas Papanikolaou (sprained right ankle) in Monday's win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but it seems like the Rockets have been playing shorthanded most of the season. Jason Terry started in the backcourt alongside Harden on Monday and Ricky Rubio racked up four steals as neither Terry nor Harden are true point guards. If Beverley is unable to go against the Clippers, it will be interesting to see if the Rockets stick with Terry, or go with a more natural ball handler against Paul, who has been one of the top steals producers in the league the last several years.
TRENDS:
* Clippers are 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Rockets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games.
* Over is 5-2 in Clippers last seven overall.
* Favorite is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings
CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 61 percent of the betting public is on the Rockets.
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