After four games on the road, the Houston Rockets are heading back home. They will square off against the Los Angeles Clippers at 9 p.m. ET Friday at Toyota Center. Houston needs to shore up a defense that is allowing 116.61 points per matchup.
It was close but no cigar for the Rockets as they fell 124-122 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Despite the loss, Houston had strong showings from power forward Kelly Olynyk, who had 24 points and eight assists in addition to six rebounds, and small forward Kenyon Martin Jr., who dropped a double-double on 20 points and ten boards along with three blocks.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles' game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday was close at halftime, but the Clippers turned on the heat in the second half with 69 points. Los Angeles made easy work of Charlotte and carried off a 113-90 victory. Shooting guard Paul George (20 points) and point guard Reggie Jackson (19 points) were the top scorers for Los Angeles.
Los Angeles' win brought them up to 47-23 while Houston's defeat pulled them down to 16-54. Los Angeles is still in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs, so these next two games are critical for them. Houston has been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Rockets are the clear underdogs, so they're hoping it's the size of the fight that determines this one. They are currently four-for-four against the spread in their most recent games, however, a trend bettors might want to take into account.
In the teams' previous meeting in April, Houston was in the race but had to settle for second with a 109-104 finish. Can they avenge their loss, or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll soon find out.
How To Watch Rockets vs. Clippers
Odds
The Clippers are a big 11.5-point favorite against the Rockets, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as an 11.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
Over/Under: -113