Rockets vs. Clippers Betting Preview: Spread Analysis for Sunday

Houston Rockets (15-8 SU, 15-8 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (14-10 SU, 16-8 ATS)

When: Sunday, December 8th, 9:00 PM (ET)

Where: Intuit Dome, CA, Inglewood

TV: SCHN

Point Spread: Hou -3/LAL +3

Total: 215.5

Money Line: Houston Rockets -138/+118

Notable Injuries

Rockets

• Fred VanVleet (Questionable) Knee
• Jae’Sean Tate (Questionable) Low Back
• Tari Eason (Out) Concussion

Clippers

• James Harden (Questionable) Groin
• Kawhi Leonard (Out) Knee
• P.J. Tucker (Out) Not With Team
• Kris Dunn (Questionable) Illness
• Mo Bamba (Questionable) Injury Recovery
• Terance Mann (Out) Finger
• Kobe Brown (Out) Back

In a Western Conference matchup, the Houston Rockets (-138) will travel to take on the Los Angeles Clippers (+118) at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The Rockets are currently favored by 3 points and have a record of 15-8, which is good for 4th in the Western Conference. The Clippers are 6th in the West and have a record of 14-10.

This game is scheduled to start at 9:00 ET and can be seen on SCHN. The over/under line for this matchup is currently sitting at 215.5 points.

Recent Form

The Rockets fell to 15-8 on the season after a 99-93 road loss to the Warriors on Thursday. Houston, favored by 4.5 points, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The game’s total of 192 points was well below the 218.5-point line.

Houston went on a 10-0 run, stretching their lead from 65-53 to 75-53, but the Warriors responded by outscoring the Rockets 31-21 in the 2nd quarter. Houston couldn’t close the gap after entering the 4th quarter down 73-66, despite narrowly outscoring Golden State 27-26 in the final period.

The Clippers fell to 14-10 on the season after a 108-80 loss to the Timberwolves on Wednesday. L.A. entered the game as +4.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 188, well below the 212.5 O/U line.

After a 15-0 run by Minnesota, the Clippers struggled to recover. They were down 86-50 going into the 4th quarter but managed to outscore the Timberwolves 30-22 in the final period.

The Historicals

The ATS record across the previous five head-to-head meetings is 5-0 in favor of the Rockets. In these matchups, Houston has averaged 113 points per game while allowing 108. The over-under record in these same games is 2-2-1, with the teams combining for an average of 221 points per game.

Analysis

The Rockets struggled offensively in Thursday’s loss to the Warriors, shooting just 37.6% from the field and 26.3% from three-point range, making only ten threes. Alperen Şengün led Houston with 16 points, adding eight rebounds and five assists.

Dillon Brooks contributed 15 points, while Amen Thompson and Jalen Green each added 14. Şengün scored 12 of his 16 points in the 4th quarter, and Fred VanVleet added 10 of his 13 points in the 3rd.

Even with a strong defensive effort, the Rockets couldn’t pull out the win against the Warriors, despite holding them to 99 points. Houston’s defense was particularly effective in the 1st quarter, where they allowed just 18 points, but they gave up 31 in the 2nd. The Rockets tightened up in the 3rd, allowing 24 points, and gave up 26 in the 4th.

Overall, the Rockets held the Warriors to 41% shooting, including just 9 made threes on 32% shooting from deep. Golden State went to the line 27 times, making 18 free throws. Houston finished with 34 defensive rebounds, allowing 11 offensive boards, and recorded nine steals and nine blocks.

The Clippers struggled offensively in their 108-80 loss to the Timberwolves, shooting just 34.9% from the field and 27.5% from three-point range. They made 11 threes, with Bones Hyland hitting 5 of them at a 50% clip.

Hyland led the team with 18 points, scoring 9 in the 4th quarter. Derrick Jones added 14 points, and Amir Coffey chipped in 12, with 7 of his points coming in the 3rd quarter.

The Clippers gave up 108 points to the Timberwolves, including 33 in the 1st quarter. They allowed 26 points in the 2nd, 27 in the 3rd, and finished strong with a 22-point 4th quarter.

Defensively, the Clippers allowed Minnesota to shoot 48% and hit 16 threes at a 36% clip. The Timberwolves went 10/18 from the free-throw line. The Clippers grabbed 36 defensive rebounds, gave up seven offensive boards, and recorded seven steals.

Betting Trends

• Through their last three road games, Houston has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 108 points per game.
• In their last three home games, Los Angeles has averaged 102 points per game while allowing 105. The team’s record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.
• In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Clippers have a straight-up record of 4-6 and an ATS mark of 6-4.
• Spanning across their last three games as the betting favorite, the Rockets have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

For this matchup, you will definitely need to keep an eye on the injury report, with Fred VanVleet and James Harden listed as questionable. But assuming both of these guys play, I really like Houston in this spot. Getting them at -3 is a steal, and I’m taking them to win and cover.