Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers Betting Pick & Prediction 1/18/25
At 10:00 ET, the Rockets (-544) will face the Trail Blazers (+404) in a Western Conference matchup. Houston is favored by 11 points, and the over/under line is set at 224.5.
Portland is currently on a four-game losing streak and sits 13th in the Western Conference. The Rockets are 27-13 overall and rank 2nd in the West.
HOUSTON ROCKETS VS PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Portland Trail Blazers +11
This game will be played at Moda Center at 10:00 ET on Saturday, January 18th.
WHY BET THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 142-115 in favor of the Trail Blazers.
- Our projections have Anfernee Simons finishing with 19 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists.
- From the field, we have the Trail Blazers finishing with a field goal percentage of 45.7% and knocking down 15 threes.
Can the Rockets Offense Score Enough on the Road?
The Rockets dropped to 27-13 on the season after a 132-127 road loss to the Kings on Thursday. Houston entered the game as +4.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total score of 259 points exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 224.5 by 34.5 points.
A 10-0 run by Sacramento in the 2nd quarter put the Rockets in a 46-36 hole. Houston battled back, outscoring the Kings 33-29 in the 3rd, but the teams traded 42 points each in the 4th, leaving the Rockets just short of a comeback.
Jalen Green led the Rockets with 28 points, hitting 4 threes at a 50% clip in their 132-127 loss to the Kings. He scored 10 points in the 1st quarter and added 9 more in both the 3rd and 4th quarters. Alperen Şengün contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds, with 11 of his points coming in the 2nd quarter.
Amen Thompson also posted a double-double with 20 points and 10 boards, shooting 66.7% from the field. Tari Eason added 16 points, scoring 9 in the 3rd and 7 more in the 4th. The Rockets shot 52.7% from the field and made 12 threes at a 36.4% rate.
Despite a solid defensive effort in the 1st and 3rd quarters, the Rockets couldn’t contain the Kings in the 2nd and 4th, giving up 35 and 42 points, respectively, in a 132-127 loss. Houston allowed Sacramento to shoot 50% from the field.
From beyond the arc, the Kings hit 14 threes at a 42% clip. The Rockets also sent Sacramento to the line 22 times, where they made 20 free throws. Houston finished with 34 defensive rebounds, allowing 12 offensive boards, while adding 10 steals and 6 blocks.
Will the Portland Defense Show Up at Home?
Portland’s season struggles continued with a 118-89 loss to the Clippers on Thursday, dropping their record to 13-27. The Blazers were +7 point underdogs at home but failed to cover the spread, losing by 29 points. The total score of 207 points fell short of the 220.5 O/U line.
Portland trailed 32-22 after the 1st quarter and couldn’t gain momentum, scoring just 16 points in the 2nd quarter. An 11-0 run by the Clippers cut the deficit from 62-40 to 62-51, and Portland entered the 4th quarter down 86-66, unable to mount a comeback.
The Trail Blazers struggled offensively in their 118-89 loss to the Clippers, shooting just 37.4% from the field and 26.5% from three-point range, making only 9 threes. Dalano Banton led Portland with 23 points, hitting 4 threes at 50% efficiency.
Scoot Henderson added 16 points, with 9 coming in the 2nd quarter, while Deandre Ayton contributed 14 points and 7 rebounds, scoring 8 points in the opening quarter. Banton scored 14 of his 23 points in the 3rd quarter, adding another 7 in the 4th.
Defensively, the Trail Blazers had a strong 2nd quarter, holding the Clippers to 20 points, but they allowed 32 points in both the 1st and 4th quarters and 34 in the 3rd. Overall, Portland gave up 118 points on 56% shooting from the field.
Portland limited the Clippers to 10 made threes, but Los Angeles still shot 43% from deep. The Clippers also went 20/27 from the free-throw line. The Trail Blazers finished with 23 defensive rebounds, allowing 8 offensive boards, and added 9 steals.