Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Portland Trail Blazers vs Houston Rockets: Are the Blazers a threat for the Rockets winning streak?
The Portland Trail Blazers are visiting the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Monday.
The Blazers are in a tanking mode
The Portland Trail Blazers are 14th in the Western Conference with a 19-52 record and are already eliminated from the playoff race. The Blazers have lost the last six games and are coming off a 114-111 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Portland is among the bottom three teams in the league, scoring 107.8 points per game on 44.3% shooting from the field. Anfernee Simons is leading the team with 22.6 points per game.
The Rockets have the longest active winning streak in the West
The Houston Rockets are 11th in the Western Conference with a 35-35 record. They have the second-longest winning streak at the moment, winning the last eight games. The Rockets are coming off a 147-119 win over the Utah Jazz. The Rockets are sixth in the league, allowing 46% shooting from the field, and are ranked second, allowing 34.7% shooting from three-point territory. Alperen Sengun is the best player on the team, averaging 21.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
Betting Trends
The Blazers are 4-1 ATS in the last five games against the Rockets and 6-0 ATS in the last six games played in Houston. Portland is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 games overall and 6-1 ATS in the last seven games on the road. Houston is 5-0 ATS in the last five games overall and 6-0 ATS in the last six games at home.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Rockets were in a deep hole just two weeks ago, but with their recent streak of eight wins in a row, they are only one win behind the play-in zone. The Rockets have been very solid at home with a 25-11 record and should have no problem against the Blazers. Portland is in tanking mode at this point in the season and will have no motive to win. Despite the fact that Alperen Sengun is still out with an injury, the Rockets are a much better team and will win this one by covering the -9.5-point spread.
