The Western Conference is all taken care of in regards the playoff race, as all 8 spots have now officially been filled. That said, there is still a bit of a scramble for positioning going on, which could potentially go all the way down to the final game of the season. The Conference, from top to bottom, has been tighter than most people expected all season long, so it’s perhaps no surprise that we are still going to need to wait a while to see what the match-ups will be in the opening round.
With just a handful of games left in the regular season, it certainly looks as though the Houston Rockets are going to land in one of the top 4 spots and if they stay where they are now, which is in at the #3 slot, they could potentially face the LA Clippers in the opening round. The Clippers are closing out the season on a solid run of form that has seen them move all the way up to the #6 spot. The Rockets are in as a slim 1.5-point road favorite for this one, with the point total set at 229.
Rockets vs Clippers NBA Betting Lines & Game Analysis
.@CP3 with the 🔥 ankle-breaking crossover in this edition of @FrostBank‘s Changing Perspectives Play of March!
🚀 See more at https://t.co/9t9Ozu2VE0 pic.twitter.com/NrZaBWj4xJ — Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) 3 de abril de 2019
- When: Wednesday, April 3 at 10:30 PM EST
- Where: Staples Center, LA
- TV: NBA TV
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- NBA Odds: Houston Rockets -1.5 (Total 229)
Raptors vs Nets NBA Odds, Preview & Expert Pick
Why bet on the Houston Rockets?
Of the 8 teams that have punched their tickets into the playoffs in the Western Conference, 7 are on winning streaks right now. The one exception is the Denver Nuggets, which is good news for the Houston Rockets. As it stands at the moment, the Rockets are a game and a half back of the #2 spot where the Nuggets currently reside. Houston has closed that gap courtesy of a 3-game winning streak and 8 wins in their last 10.
After a very slow start to the season, the Rockets have come to life at the exact right time and are now 3 games over .500 on the road at 21-18. The downside here is that Houston has lost both previous meetings to the Clippers this season. They have covered in 5 of their last 6 games, but they are just 9-15-1 ATS as a road favorite.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 113.15
- Field Goal Percentage: 44.75
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.23
- Free Throw Percentage: 79.10
- Total Rebounds: 41.74
Defense
- Total Score: 109.29
- Field Goal Percentage: 46.73
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.10
- Free Throw Percentage: 77.24
- Total Rebounds: 45.35
Why bet on the LA Clippers?
The Clippers spent a good deal of time wallowing down in the #8 spot in the Western Conference, but they now look determined to improve their standing before the regular season comes to a close. The Clippers have now won back to back games and 8 of their last 10, a run that has moved them up to #6, just a half game back of the Utah Jazz for the #5 spot.
A big part of the success that this team has achieved this season has been their play at home, where they are 25-13. The last time they faced the Rockets at the Staples Center, the Clippers pulled out a tight 115-112 win, so they would certainly settle for more of the same. They have covered the spread in 5 straight games and are 3-7 ATS as a home dog.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 115.06
- Field Goal Percentage: 47.15
- Three-Point Percentage: 38.72
- Free Throw Percentage: 79.59
- Total Rebounds: 45.58
Defense
- Total Score: 113.42
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.51
- Three-Point Percentage: 33.88
- Free Throw Percentage: 77.37
- Total Rebounds: 45.45
Rockets vs Clippers NBA Betting Trends
- Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Houston is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston’s last 6 games
- LA is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games at home
- LA is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Clippers’s last 5 games at home
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Rockets vs Clippers
The last meeting between these two teams was close, and I believe that this one is going to go a similar route. Both teams are playing well, but I am giving the slight nod to the Clippers on home court.
Score: Houston Rockets 114 – LA Clippers 116
