The Houston Rockets (26-15) and Philadelphia 76ers (23-19) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa. The game will broadcast live on SCHN.
The Rockets are 2.5-point favorites over the 76ers on the spread (Rockets -2.5), with the over/under set at 221.5 total points. Houston is a -135 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Philadelphia is +114 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Rockets vs. 76ers predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, January 22.
Rockets vs 76ers Prediction, Picks
- Rockets vs 76ers pick: Rockets Moneyline (-135)
My 76ers vs Rockets best bet is on Houston moneyline, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Rockets vs 76ers Odds
| Rockets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -102 | 221.5 -110o / -110u | -135 |
| 76ers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -118 | 221.5 -110o / -110u | +114 |
Rockets vs 76ers NBA Preview
On Tuesday night, the Rockets' matchup with the Spurs featured two top-five defenses, but you would not have known it watching the first three quarters, as the Spurs took a 92-82 lead into the fourth quarter.
However, the Rockets clamped down defensively in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Spurs 29-14 to rally for a 111-106 victory.
Reed Sheppard sparked the rally with 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. He is averaging 15.3 points over his last three games.
The Rockets improved to 15-3 at home this season, but they begin a two-game back-to-back set against the 76ers and Pistons tonight in Philadelphia.
Houston is just 11-12 on the road, and the 76ers are 11-12 at home this season. Philly is just 1-3 on its current homestand, most recently falling to the Suns 116-110 on Tuesday night.
Tyrese Maxey has hit a rough patch offensively. He is shooting just 37.5% from the field while averaging 21.3 points over his last four games.
Maxey is still the league's third leading scorer at 30 points per game, and Kevin Durant is 14th at 25.9 points per game for Houston.
However, both Maxey (25.5 tonight) and Durant (23.5 tonight) are under their scoring lines in three of their last four games.
Amen Thompson figures to spend most of his night defending Maxey, but he has filled out the stat sheet himself of late.
Over his last 10 games, he is averaging 20.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
For Philadelphia, Paul George is questionable tonight with a left knee injury. However, both Joel Embiid and Kelly Oubre Jr. are expected to play. Meanwhile, Steven Adams is questionable for the Rockets.
Rockets vs 76ers Prediction, Betting Analysis
Philadelphia is 2-4 over its last six home games, with wins over Indiana and Washington, and has dropped each of its last four home games against teams currently in the playoffs. They are just 9-14 against teams above .500 this season.
Conversely, Houston is 14-8 against teams above .500 this season.
The Rockets are also the better team on both ends, ranking in the top six in offensive and defensive rating, while the Sixers are outside the top 11 in both categories.
Houston needed overtime to secure both victories last season, but won both meetings by seven points. Tonight, they may take only 48 minutes to secure the victory.
For the Rockets, Thompson has 15 points in eight of his last 10 games, while Sheppard has scored eight points in eight of his last 10 games.
Embiid has scored 20 points in 17 of his last 20 games. That includes each of the last 14 games, in which he is averaging 28.1 points per game.
Meanwhile, Maxey's scoring has been down recently, but he has still been disruptive defensively. He has 16 steals over his past three games, and he is averaging 2.6 steals over his last 20 games.
He has recorded at least two in 14 of those games, and the Rockets are averaging 14.5 turnovers per game this season.
Pick: Rockets Moneyline (-135, DraftKings)
Rockets vs 76ers Parlay Picks
- Joel Embiid 20+ Points
- Amen Thompson 15+ Points
- Reed Sheppard 8+ Points
- Tyrese Maxey 2+ Steals
Parlay Odds: +294 via DraftKings
76ers vs Rockets Betting Trends
