The surging Memphis Grizzlies will look to slow down the red hot Houston Rockets when the two division rivals butt heads at the Toyota Center tonight. This evening's Southwest Divisional showdown is scheduled to get underway at 8:00pm ET. Friday's NBA Betting Odds have the hosting Rockets listed as a -5.5 against the spread favorite and the Over/Under set at 198.5 points.
The Rockets won their third straight game on Wednesday, taking out the Sacramento Kings 119-98 at the Toyota Center to improve to 29-15 overall and close to within four games of the Southwest leading Spurs.
Houston shot an abysmal 8-of-31 from beyond the arc just two nights removed from a 16-of-33 long range effort against Portland, but it made up for the poor outside shooting in a multitude of other ways.
The Rockets won the rebounding battle 55 to 42 and they had 29 assists to the Kings 19. Houston also limited Sacramento to 39.5 percent shooting in the easy win.
The Grizzlies have not been as hot as the Rockets, who are 8-2 in their last 10 games, but they are 5-1 in their last six outings. Memphis defeated the likes of Phoenix, Atlanta, and Oklahoma City over the course of the last two weeks, and it just saw a five game winning streak come to an end on Monday night with an unexpected 92-95 home loss to the Pelicans.
The Grizzlies have their work cut out for them in avoiding back to back losses, though. Memphis is 0-2 against Houston this season, losing 86-93 and 92-100, and the Rockets are 18-6 at the Toyota Center.
Notable Trends: The Rockets are 9-1 straight up and 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games as a home favorite against the Grizzlies.
Memphis Grizzlies vs Houston Rockets NBA Betting Odds:
Memphis Grizzlies +5.5 (-110), Over 198.5 (-110)
Houston Rockets -5.5 (-110), Under 198.5 (-110)
Handicapping Tips: Basketball Specialization
Steve Fezzik, from Pregame.com, discusses how specialization in basketball can aid you in your handicapping.
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