Will the Rockets get their seventh win in a row?
The Los Angeles Clippers will face the Houston Rockets in the NBA on Friday night. In advance, the odds of the bookmakers clearly favor a home win for the star ensemble around James Harden, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard.
However, we can’t really understand that, because while the home side have only won three of their ten games, the visitors have already won six after nine games. For this reason, the betting odds should be closer between the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets
We recommend betting on a win for the visitors between the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets. In our opinion, the odds are simply far too high and therefore have a lot of value. The visiting team is in much better form, has won the last six games and will therefore not be beaten so easily
Kick-off for this game is at 04:30 on Saturday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The game can be watched live and in full length with the NBA League Pass.
Los Angeles Clippers – Statistics & current form
The LA Clippers are currently in twelfth place in the Western Conference and are therefore clearly lagging behind their own expectations. Tyronn Lue’s team have only won three of their ten games so far and have even lost their last six games in a row. Since the signing of James Harden, the hosts have a record of 0-5. Without “The Beard”, their record looked much better with three wins from the first five games. In their current form, reaching the NBA playoffs is therefore in jeopardy
The new signing
James Harden moved from Philadelphia to the Los Angeles Clippers a few weeks ago. A change of scenery was already on the cards, as the shooting guard has not played a single minute on the floor for the 76ers this season. Alongside Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook, Tyronn Lue now has another big name in his team. Nevertheless, “The Beard” has been waiting five games for his first win in the new jersey and has left a mixed impression so far
A question of time
Despite the current negative streak, the Clippers’ players are very confident about the coming weeks. James Harden is an exceptional player, always does unpredictable things and is therefore also difficult for his own team-mates to read. As a result, the teamwork is not yet working particularly well. Nevertheless, his teammates are convinced of his qualities and are certain that the Clipps can compete for the title this season.
With an average of 113.2 points per game, the Clippers still have some room for improvement in offense. Tyronn Lue’s team is currently ranked 15th in the league, but with the squad the home side should climb significantly in this category, as hardly any other team in the NBA is as flexible and broad-based as LA. The starting five of Leonard, George, Westbrook, Harden and Zubac alone should be capable of scoring around 80 points per game.
In addition to their offensive qualities, their defensive abilities should also be emphasized. The Clippers allow an average of just 111.7 points per game, putting them in eleventh place in the NBA. Nevertheless, the home side rarely manage to produce their best performance on one and the same evening on both sides of the court. In the end, this is what led to their poor record.
Predicted line-up of Los Angeles Clippers:
- F: Paul George
- SF: Kawhi Leonard
- SG: James Harden
- PG: Russel Westbrook
- C: Ivica Zubac
Injured and Suspended Players of Los Angeles Clippers:
Mason Plumlee, Brandon Boston Jr.
Houston Rockets – Statistics & current form
Houston was one of the weakest teams in the NBA last season, winning just 22 of its 82 games. This season, the Rockets are suddenly in fourth place in the Western Conference and have won six of their nine games. In addition, Ime Udoka’s team is on a run of six wins in a row and therefore seems unstoppable. It may still be early in the season, but with their current performance, the visitors are even a candidate for the NBA playoffs.
MIP-Contender
Alperen Sengun is having a great season so far and has improved significantly compared to his first two years in the NBA. The center is also the Rockets’ top scorer with an average of 19.4 points. He also leads his team in the rebounds category and is the second-best provider of assists behind Fred VanVleet. We should also bear in mind that the Turkish international is only 21 years old and therefore still has a lot of development potential
Missing players
The Rockets are still missing a real top player in Victor Oladipo. The shooting guard is suffering from a knee injury and is patiently waiting for his comeback. Ime Udoka will also have to do without Amen Thompson. The rookie is one of this season’s biggest talents and was selected fourth in this year’s draft for good reason. Should both players return to the team, the Rockets would be incredibly well-staffed, especially in terms of depth.
There is no real superstar in Ime Udoka’s team. Compared to the Clippers, who have four of them in Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, the visitors seem to have no chance in advance. But appearances are deceptive, as the Rockets are particularly impressive thanks to the breadth of their squad. The difference in quality between the starting five and the bench is smaller than that of almost any other team in the NBA and that is what makes Houston so strong.
Strong defense
The Rockets allow an average of just 105.8 points, making them one of the best defenses in the NBA. It was a different story last year, when Houston had one of the weakest defenses in the league. New signing Dillon Brooks plays a key role here, as the small forward brings a lot of aggression to the game and can drive his opponents crazy with his presence alone.
Predicted line-up of Houston Rockets:
- SG: Jalen Green
- PG: Fred VanVleet
- SF: Dillon Brooks
- PF: Jabari Smith Jr.
- C: Alperen Sengun
Injured and Suspended Houston Rockets Players:
Victor Oladipo, Amen Thompson
Los Angeles Clippers – Houston Rockets head-to-head / H2H record
The direct comparison between the two teams goes somewhat surprisingly to the visitors. Houston has won 83 duels against the Clippers, while the home side currently has 57 wins. However, Los Angeles have won seven in a row recently and last lost to the Rockets in May 2021. Based on their current form, however, we expect a very close and exciting game. For this reason, our prediction between the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets is more in favor of the visiting team
Los Angeles Clippers – Houston Rockets betting tip
We play the betting tip between the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets on a victory of the visiting team with a handicap of +8.5 points. The visitors look very well-rehearsed, play very aggressive basketball and are currently on a run of six wins in a row. In contrast, we have the stumbling home side, who have not won in six games. What’s more, Tyronn Lue’s team, especially with new signing James Harden, don’t really look settled yet
The odds for over 215.5 points in the game between the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets are also interesting. In our opinion, the line is set a little too low, as the home side scores significantly more points on average (224.9). We are therefore pretty sure that we will be around 220 points at the end of the game
