Cleveland Cavaliers vs Houston Rockets Betting Pick & Prediction 1/22/25

At 8:00 ET, the Cleveland Cavaliers (-127) will travel to Houston to take on the Rockets (+108) in a non-conference matchup.

The Rockets are currently 2nd in the Western Conference with a record of 28-14, while the Cavaliers are 1st in the East at 36-6. The over/under line for the game is set at 231.5.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS VS HOUSTON ROCKETS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Houston Rockets +2

This game will be played at Toyota Center at 8:00 ET on Wednesday, January 22nd.

WHY BET THE HOUSTON ROCKETS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 118-112 in favor of the Rockets.
• Our projections have Jalen Green finishing with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
• From the field, we have the Rockets finishing with a field goal percentage of 45.4% and knocking down 12 threes.

Will the Cavaliers Pull Through as the Favored Road Team?

The Cavaliers improved to 36-6 on the season with a dominant 118-92 win over the Suns on Monday. Playing at home, Cleveland entered the game as -8 point favorites and covered the spread with a +26 point margin. The total score of 210 points fell well below the O/U line of 238.

After a 27-27 tie in the 1st quarter, Cleveland took control by outscoring Phoenix 32-19 in the 2nd quarter. An 11-0 run extended their lead from 62-48 to 73-48, and they continued to pull away by winning the 3rd quarter 34-24. Heading into the 4th quarter with a 93-70 lead, the Cavs closed out the game by outscoring the Suns 25-22 in the final period.

Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers to a win over the Suns, scoring 33 points and hitting 4 threes at 44.4% efficiency. Darius Garland added 16 points and 7 assists, connecting on 3 triples at a 60% rate.

Cleveland made 19 threes as a team, shooting 41.3% from deep, despite a 43.2% overall field goal percentage. Mitchell scored 12 points in the 3rd quarter and added 11 more in the 4th.

The Cavaliers put on a defensive clinic against the Suns, holding them to just 92 points. Cleveland’s defense was especially strong in the 2nd quarter, where they allowed only 19 points. They also limited Phoenix to 24 points in the 3rd and 22 in the 4th.

Even though the Suns shot 46% from the field, the Cavaliers held them to 10 made three-pointers on 38% shooting. Cleveland also sent Phoenix to the free-throw line just 13 times. The Cavaliers dominated the boards, giving up only 1 offensive rebound while collecting 35 defensive rebounds. They also added 10 steals.

Can Houston Deliver Being Underdogs at Home?

The Rockets fell to 28-14 on the season after a 107-96 home loss to the Pistons on Monday. Houston, favored by 7.5 points, not only lost outright but also failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 203 fell well short of the 224-point over/under line.

A 13-0 run by the Pistons early on put the Rockets in a hole, but Houston responded by outscoring Detroit 28-17 in the 2nd quarter. However, the Pistons regained control by winning the 3rd quarter 33-23, and despite holding Detroit to 17 points in the 4th, Houston managed only 16 points themselves.

The Rockets struggled offensively in their 107-96 loss to the Pistons, shooting just 39.4% from the field and 28.2% from three-point range. They made 11 threes in the game, with Fred VanVleet hitting 5 of them at a 38.5% clip.

VanVleet led the Rockets with 20 points, scoring 8 in the 1st quarter and 7 more in the 3rd. Jalen Green added 19 points, including 9 in the 4th, while Amen Thompson contributed 17 points, with 9 coming in the 2nd quarter.

Despite a strong defensive effort in the 2nd and 4th quarters, where they allowed just 17 points each, the Rockets couldn’t overcome a rough 1st quarter, giving up 40 points in a 107-96 loss to the Pistons. Houston’s defense held Detroit to 10 made threes on 37% shooting from deep.

The Rockets sent the Pistons to the line 15 times, with Detroit converting 13 free throws. Houston also recorded 18 steals and 1 block, while allowing 13 offensive rebounds.