Bottom-Tier Teams Battle
The Western Conference’s bottom teams meet tomorrow night, as the Houston Rockets (9-20) play host to the San Antonio Spurs (9-20). Houston has played its best at home with a 6-7 record, while San Antonio is 4-8 on the road.
Both teams have played better over the last two weeks. The Spurs are 3-2 outright and against the spread (ATS) in the last five games. The Rockets have split the previous four games at 2-2. Which team will continue to build momentum with another win?
Let’s check the latest NBA odds, stats, injury report and NBA lines for Spurs vs Rockets. We’ve plenty of NBA betting odds for you to consider.
San Antonio’s Success Determined By Defense
The San Antonio Spurs went 1-14 in November, but are finally starting to win some games. San Antonio snapped its 11-game losing streak with a 118-109 win over the Rockets on Dec. 8. The Spurs shot 55.4% from the field while forward Keldon Johnson totaled 32 points. Johnson is averaging 21.1 points and is a dark horse for the Most Improved Player award. The Spurs’ backcourt and wings are hoping to dominate the matchup once again.
The win against the Rockets sparked a three-game winning streak, which also included wins against the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. However, San Antonio has taken a step back in the last two games, going 0-2 ATS while losing by double digits in both contests. The Spurs’ poor defense, which ranks 30th in allowed points per game, has resurfaced. The last two opponents shot better than 50% from the field and the Portland Trail Blazers went 18 of 40 on 3-pointers.
San Antonio must tighten its defense once again, as it held opponents to 110.3 points per game during the winning streak, compared to the season average of a league-worst 120 allowed points per game.
Rockets Rely on 3-point Shooting
Over the last four games, the Houston Rockets’ defense has stepped it up. They are allowing 101.8 points per game, compared to the season average of 115.1 allowed points per game. Houston grabbed two of its most impressive wins on Dec. 11 and 13 against the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns. The defense was lights out, as both opponents shot less than 37% from the field and less than 30% on 3-pointers.
The Rockets have dealt with inconsistencies, which is expected from one of the NBA’s youngest rosters. Following back-to-back impressive wins, Houston has lost two consecutive games, mainly because of its 3-point shooting. The Rockets heavily rely on the three, shooting 34.6 per game (10th). In the last two games, they are shooting a combined 12 of 62 from beyond the arc. Houston’s leading scorer Jalen Green (21.6 points) has shot 2 of 17 on 3-pointers in the last three games.
San Antonio is 30th in allowed 3-point percentage. The Rockets’ shooters should be able to get back on track. They managed to hit 10 threes in the Dec. 8 matchup against the Spurs.
Spurs vs Rockets Game Injuries
Spurs vs Rockets Head-to-Head
The Spurs have won seven of the last nine matchups. San Antonio is on a four-game win streak against Houston and has gone 3-1 ATS during the span. The Spurs are averaging 126 points in their last five games against the Rockets.
Spurs vs Rockets Game Information
- Game: Spurs vs Rockets
- Location: Toyota Center, Houston
- Day/Time: Monday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m. ET
- Spurs vs RocketsLive Stream: NBA Game Pass
Spurs vs Rockets Betting Lines
Spurs vs Rockets Picks & Prediction
Both teams will likely finish at the bottom of the Western Conference and have a good chance in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, who is the favorite to be selected No. 1 in the 2023 NBA Draft (-2000). However, both have found some success over the last two weeks.
Houston’s defense has improved since its last meeting against the Spurs. Plus, San Antonio just allowed 18 made 3-pointers against the Blazers. Houston is 8-4-1 ATS at home while San Antonio is 5-7 ATS on the road. Look for the Rockets to knock down 3-pointers, leading to a win and cover.
Houston is listed at -170 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Rockets, you have a chance to win $59. San Antonio is +148, offering a chance to win $148 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Houston a 62.96% chance to win, with the Spurs at 40.32%.
Spurs vs Rockets Trends
Spurs vs Rockets Edge
Spurs vs Rockets Results
Spurs vs Rockets Game Summary
Rockets vs Spurs Previous Game (Dec. 08, 2022)
It will be a game between the teams with the worst record in the Western Conference, as the Houston Rockets (7-17) travel to face the San Antonio Spurs (6-18). The Spurs are currently on an 11-game losing streak, completely embodying their rebuild, while the Rockets have shown some life, going 5-5 over their last 10.
In their last game, the Rockets beat the Philadelphia 76ers 132-123 in double overtime, using their young talent to push through a highly-rated team. On the other hand, the Spurs lost 133-95 to the Phoenix Suns, showing little life.
The Spurs are not a team that will underestimate the Rockets, but that might not matter. This might be the Spurs’ best chance of ending their losing streak, but based on their last few games, it seems unlikely, especially with Poeltl and Sochan missing the last three. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich could be back after missing two games, which may give them a boost.
However, the Rockets have much more talent on their roster than the Spurs and are coming off a big win with the momentum that should carry them to another victory.
