LA Clippers vs Houston Rockets Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 09/04/2025, 02:58  by Joseph King | Modified on 09/04/2025 at 03:21 in NBA Predictions

Only three games remain in the NBA regular season in what has been one of the tightest playoff races in league history! The fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers host the second-place Houston Rockets for this Western Conference clash. Let’s get into the match prediction.

There are four teams in the West with identical 47-32 records, one of them being the Clippers. Their head-to-head advantage sees them currently holding an automatic playoff entry via a top-six seed.

Los Angeles was previously in a play-in position but they’ve caught fire at the perfect time. A 122-117 home win over the Spurs last night marked the team’s fifth victory in a row and their eighth in the last 10.

However, they’ll have to keep up the tempo in the final games as the third through eighth seeds are separated by just 2.0 games.

The Rockets, however, are locked into the second seed with their 52-27 record. They trail leaders OKC by 13.0 games and lead the third-place Lakers by 3.0 games. That could play a big role here, as head coach Ime Udoka will likely heavily consider starting to rest players in anticipation for the postseason.

Houston comes into this game following an impressive 106-96 away win over the in-form Warriors, their third win in a row. The visitors have now won six of their last seven.