NBA Picks: Toronto Raptors vs. Houston Rockets
by Mike Rose
Two teams that are clinging to their playoff hopes duke it out in the Lone Star State where BetUS Sportsbook has your NBA picks for the duel between the Toronto Raptors and the Houston Rockets.
Playing without F Chris Bosh, the Raptors were annihilated at Oklahoma City on Sunday night, dropping a 119-99 decision to fall 5.5 games behind the Celtics for the lead in the Atlantic Division.
It looks like the trade that brought G Kevin Martin and a host of others to Houston has failed miserably at this point for the Rockets. They've lost seven of their L/9 overall, including a horrifying 133-110 loss in Utah on Saturday. Houston is just barely hanging on to hope for a Western Conference postseason bid, but dropping below .500 won't help matters any.
In order to make your NBA picks, you'll have a line of Houston -6 and a 'total' of 212.5 to dig into at BetUS Sportsbook.
Toronto Raptors (31-27, 28-30 ATS) vs. Houston Rockets (29-29, 26-32 ATS)
NBA Odds:
Toronto Raptors +6
Houston Rockets -6
Game Total 212.5
Bosh is still day to day right now with an injured ankle, but the sooner that he comes back, the better for the Dinos. They've dropped three straight SU and are just 1-4 ATS without the big man in the starting five.
Defense has become a major issue. Allowing 119 points to the Thunder seems to have become the norm of sorts. Four straight foes have scored 100+ points on the Raptors, and opposing teams have averaged a stunning 107.4 points per game against them in their L/10 overall.
C Andrea Bargnani will continue to have to step up in Bosh's absence if he can't give it a go against the Rockets. The former #1 overall pick has averaged 17.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this year, making him the second leading scorer on the team.
Whatever is wrong with the Rockets right now had better stop in a hurry. Don't blame G Kevin Martin, though. He is scoring 22.2 points per game in his five games with Houston. C Jared Jeffries has been a brutal disappointment in his four games, scoring just 7.2 points per game.
The Rockets have been an impossible team to make NBA picks on lately because of their defense. That 23-point loss to the Jazz was just one of five straight awful defensive performances. Houston has conceded 114.8 points per game in those five, and is 1-4 SU and ATS during that stretch.
NBA Insider Betting Tip: Toronto is just 7-18-1 ATS in its L/26 games playing without a day of rest.
This is one the Rockets just have to have. Even though they're 2-12 ATS in their L/14 games played at the Toyota Center, this is a nice matchup for them, especially if Bosh can't go again with his bum ankle.
Look for the prolific potential scorers to fly high for the Rockets as they fly to a much-needed win to get back above the Mason-Dixon Line on the season.
Rose’s NBA Prediction: Rockets by 7
