Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 25/03/2024, 07:10  by Devesh Jaganath in NBA Predictions

The Portland Trail Blazers will travel to the Toyota Center to face the Houston Rockets in the NBA on Monday night. The hosts are 35-35 and 11th in the Western Conference, while the visitors are 19-52 and 14th in the Conference standings. 

Portland Trail Blazers endured their sixth consecutive loss with a narrow 114-111 defeat against the Denver Nuggets at home on Saturday night, concluding a disappointing back-to-back set. Duop Reath emerged as the team's leading scorer with 24 points, while Scoot Henderson contributed 22 points along with six assists. Unfortunately, Portland's struggles have persisted throughout the season, resulting in their elimination from playoff contention. Offensively, they rank 28th in the NBA, averaging 107.8 points per game, while the Houston Rockets boast the 11th-ranked defense, allowing 112.7 points per game. Portland tends to score slightly more points when playing at home compared to on the road. Defensively, the Trail Blazers have been marginally better, conceding 115.9 points per game, which places them 17th in the league this season. Robert Williams III, Malcolm Brogdon, and Shaedon Sharpe are ruled out for Monday's game, while Jerami Grant, Matisse Thybulle, Anfernee Simons, and Deandre Ayton are listed as questionable for the matchup.

The Houston Rockets are riding high on a hot streak, eager to extend their winning run after a dominant 147-110 victory over the struggling Utah Jazz on Saturday. Jalen Green led the charge with an impressive 41-point performance on 15-of-22 shooting, while Fred VanVleet contributed significantly with 34 points and seven assists. The Rockets are now 14.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets for the top spot in the Western Conference, but they are within striking distance of the Golden State Warriors for the final spot in the play-in games, trailing by just one game. Their offensive prowess is evident, averaging 114.3 points per game, a mere 1.6 points less than the 115.9 points the Portland Trail Blazers typically concede. Defensively, the Rockets have been solid, allowing 112.7 points per game, which ranks 12th in the league. However, Houston will face some roster challenges for their upcoming game, with Steven Adams, Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun, and Cam Whitmore confirmed to be out.