Cavaliers at Rockets: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks

The Houston Rockets finish up a four-game homestand at Toyota Center with Wednesday’s visit from Cleveland, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We have the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as all the information you’ll need to make the smartest bets at Tipico Sportsbook.

The Rockets-Cavaliers game tips at 7 p.m. CST and can be viewed or streamed via AT&T SportsNet Southwest and NBA League Pass.

The rebuilding Rockets (14-36) haven’t won at Toyota Center since Dec. 8, a losing streak now at 11 games. The surging Cavaliers (31-20), on the other hand, enter with nine wins in their last 11 games and are only 1.5 games back of the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. On paper, it’s a lopsided matchup of a contender versus one of the NBA’s worst teams.

Yet, this particular meeting is loaded with juicy storylines, and perhaps that will give the home team some extra energy to make Wednesday’s battle a competitive game. For 21-year-old guard Kevin Porter Jr., it will be his first time to play against Cleveland since the Cavs traded their former 2019 first-round selection to Houston just over a year ago.

Meanwhile, for backcourt mate Jalen Green — the No. 2 overall pick from the 2021 NBA draft — it’s a battle with Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, who was taken right behind Green at No. 3 in the first round. To this point, Mobley has generally outplayed Green in the NBA, but Green would certainly love to make a statement in the head-to-head matchup to suggest that Houston may still have made the best long-term decision.

Cavaliers at Rockets notable injuries

Houston’s injury report lists rookie forward Usman Garuba as out with a left wrist injury, which could keep him out for up to eight weeks. Two-way players Daishen Nix and Trevelin Queen remain in the G League, largely due to the majority of the Rockets’ roster being healthy.

The Cavaliers are dealing with more injuries, with Lauri Markkanen (right ankle sprain) and Darius Garland (low back soreness) each listed as out. Guards Collin Sexton (left knee) and Ricky Rubio (left knee) are each expected to miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

Probable Lineups

Rockets-Cavaliers game lines (Feb. 2)

Point spread: Cavaliers -5.5
Money line: Rockets +170 / Cavaliers -210
Over-under: 219.5

Click here to place your bets at Tipico Sportsbook.

Advice and prediction

The Rockets have lost straight up and versus the spread in each of their first three games of the four-game homestand. That’s not a good trend, but it could also be argued that they are due for a breakthrough.

The best bet could be on Jalen Green’s aggression. In his only other game against a rival pick from high in the 2021 NBA draft, Green scored 23 points and shot 20 times (a career-high to date) in a Nov. 10 meeting with No. 1 choice Cade Cunningham and Detroit. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if Green brings a similar level of intensity to the table for his matchup with Mobley on Wednesday night.

Prediction: Cavaliers 112, Rockets 108; Green over 13.5 (-103)

This post originally appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!