Celtics vs Rockets Picks, Prediction Today | Sunday, Jan. 21

Here's everything you need to know about Celtics vs. Rockets on Sunday, Jan. 21 — our expert prediction and betting picks for today.

Fresh off a win over the Jazz, the Rockets will look to build some positive momentum when they welcome the mighty Boston Celtics in for a game on Sunday night in Houston. While a win might be hard to come by against one of the best teams in the NBA, just how close will this one be?

Let's get to our Celtics vs. Rockets prediction and pick.

The Celtics find themselves in a rare position on Sunday, coming off of a loss for just the 10th time all season. They've gone an impressive 8-1 straight up and 6-3 against the spread in these games, though they're just 7-10-2 ATS as road favorites this season which represents one of their worst spots.

Still, you have to like Boston's chances here. It will be at nearly full health, with just Al Horford on the injury report as questionable as the team rests its veteran, and over the last 10 games this team finds itself in the top three in the NBA when it comes to offensive and defensive efficiency.

We do know the Celtics love to shoot the three, taking a whopping 43.5% of their looks from beyond the arc which ranks first in the NBA, and while a ton of those looks have gone down they're always a bit vulnerable away from home where they're shooting it at just 35.5% — a stunning five-point drop-off from their numbers in Boston.

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On the other side of the coin, if there's one thing this Rockets team does well it's play defense. They're the top team in the NBA when it comes to defending the 3-point line, allowing just 34.3% of opponents' looks to fall, and a respectable 12th when it comes to defending within four feet.

With all of that said, the Rockets have dropped off significantly on that end of late, allowing 116.6 points per 100 possessions to rank 18th in the NBA over the last 10 games. They've still defended the arc pretty admirably despite some of their interior defense lagging behind, allowing just 38% shooting from deep in these games.

So, with all of that said, there's not too much reason to worry for the Rockets here despite some worsening numbers on defense. Their strong perimeter defense remains effective, and that should work wonders against a team that not only loves to shoot the longball but has done so at a considerably worse clip than at home.

Scoring has been an issue for the Rockets this season, and against a strong Boston rim defense that could certainly continue on Sunday. With that said, if there's one place to beat the Celtics it's been from deep, and the Rockets have attempted to make this the focal point of their offense despite the fact that their numbers have been fleeting — though certainly not dreadful.

With Horford's status here in question, and with the Celtics' shooting woes on the road, I think the Rockets are very much in play. Boston has had a very tough time covering as road favorites with its offense hitting a snag, and I think this is too large of a number to pass up given the matchup.

Pick: Rockets +11 (-108)

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