Rockets vs. 76ers Pick
Are the Philadelphia 76ers going to upset the visiting Houston Rockets Wednesday night at 7PM EST?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Rockets are listed as a 4-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under is set at 221.
Houston comes in with a 3-1 record following a 98-90 home loss to the Grizzlies. Philadelphia is 1-3 after a 97-86 win at the Pistons on Monday. The Rockets won both games straight up last season and the meetings went 1-1 ATS. The total also went 1-1.
In the Rockets’ first loss of the season, James Harden had 22 points along with eight assists and five rebounds. Eric Gordon scored a team-best 27 points to go with seven assists. Clint Capela added 14 points and six boards. Houston was outscored 28-14 in the fourth quarter.
Philadelphia was led by Ben Simmons versus Detroit as he racked up 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double. Joel Embiid had 30 points and nine rebounds. Robert Covington tallied 13 points, five rebounds and four steals. The 76ers led 56-43 at halftime and maintained the advantage through most of the second half.
The Rockets are 1-5 in their last six meetings in Philadelphia. The over is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Philly.
The absence of Chris Paul at point guard really hurt the Rockets against Memphis and he will remain out for at least a couple more weeks. Harden has plenty of experience running the show himself, but the defense, scoring ability, distribution skills and leadership of Paul are sorely missed. Philadelphia looked good at Detroit and has good history at home versus Houston. Take the home team.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA 76ERS +3.5