Boston Celtics vs Houston Rockets 02/11/20 NBA Betting Odds and Prediction

It’s East vs West when the Boston Celtics take on the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on February 11, 2020.

Boston is the 3rd ranked team in the Eastern Conference and they are currently in second place in the Atlantic Division, 1.5 games behind the streaking Toronto Raptors. Boston has posted seven consecutive wins and they have lost just once in their last 10 games played. The Rockets are the top team in the Southwest Division and are in third place in the Western Conference behind the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets in the team standings. The Rockets have lost back to back games heading to Tuesday’s contest.

Second Place in the East

The Boston Celtics close out a short two-game road trip with a visit to the Toyota Center. Boston has won nine of their last 10 games including their last seven outings. They are 37-15 SU on the season and in third place in the Eastern Conference behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.

The Celtics are coming off a 112-111 victory over the OKC Thunder. Kemba Walker led the Celtics with 27 points while Jayson Tatum had 26 points and 11 rebounds. But it was Marcus Smart who stole the ball from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in OKC’s final possession to seal the victory for the Celtics.

Boston ranks 12th in the NBA in scoring at 112.7 points per game. They are 14th in rebounding at 45.6 boards grabbed per contest and are 21st in passing at 23.3 assists per game. The Celtics have the 2nd best scoring defense in the league at only 105.5 points per game allowed this season.

The Houston Rockets have lost back to back games and they are currently 33-20 SU on the season and in 1st place in the Southwest Division, seven games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the top spot in the Western Conference. In their last game, the Rockets lost to the Utah Jazz after a buzzer-beating three-point basket by Bojan Bogdanovic.

Russell Westbrook led the Rockets with 38 points while James Harden posted a triple-double with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Newcomer Robert Covington added 14 points while Danuel House had 10 for Houston which shot 46% from the floor including 15 of 42 from behind the three-point area.

The Rockets are the second-highest scoring team in the league at 118.2 points per game this season. They are 11th off the glass with an average of 45.6 rebounds per game this season. Houston is next to last in passing at 21.5 assists per game and they are 22nd in scoring defense at 114.6 points per game allowed.

Who Wins?

The Celtics are 7-0 SU in their last seven games played. Boston is 4-1 SU in their last seven games played. The Rockets are 4-2 SU in their last six games played. Houston is 4-1 SU in their last five games played at home. Head to head, the Rockets are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games played against the Celtics. Houston is also 7-1 SU in their last 10 home games played against Boston.

The Celtics are on a roll right now and they have won seven straight games and nine out of their last 10 overall. All-Star forward Jayson Tatum has been putting up 26.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in his last ten outings and Boson is 15-10 SU on the road this season.

Houston has lost back to back games since its big win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets are coming off a heart-breaking 113-114 loss to the Utah Jazz in a game where Bojan Bogdanovic hit a buzzer-beating three-point basket to sink the Rockets. Houston is without Eric Gordon who has a lower leg injury.

Jaylen Brown is listed as day to day with an ankle injury but he has a “good chance” to play against the Rockets. The Rockets are 18-8 SU at home this season but they are missing a key player in Eric Gordon. Boston is on a roll right now and I look for the Celtics to continue with their winning ways here.

Prediction: Boston Celtics

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Other Bets to Make

Boston is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games played. The Celtics are 3-2 ATS in their last five games played on the road, and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against the Southwest Division. Houston is 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games played. The Rockets are 2-2 ATS in their last four games played at home, 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games played against the Eastern Conference, and 8-1 ATS in their last nine games played against the Atlantic Division. Head to head, the Celtics are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games played against the Rockets.

I like Boston here because while Houston has one of the best offenses in the NBA, they don’t play much defense at all. That is going to be a problem against Boston which is the 2nd best defensive team in the league this season. I like the Celtics to put the clamps on the Rockets offense here. I’ll take the visitors and the plus points here.

Prediction: Celtics +2.5

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The total has gone under in seven out of the last 10 games played by the Celtics. The under is 3-2 in Boston’s last five road games, and the under is 11-5 in their last 16 games played against the Western Conference. The total has gone under in four out of the last five games played by the Rockets. The under is 4-1 in Houston’s last five games played in February. Head to head, the under is 7-2-1 in the last 10 games between these two teams.

The Rockets are dangerous when they start hitting their three-pointers. Houston is ranked 1st in the league in three-point shots attempted per game. However, Boston has the 7th best three-point defense in the league and this should help them contain Houston’s explosive offense. The Celtics don’t want to engage the Rockets in a shootout so they’d most probably try to slow down the game. I like these teams to play to the under here.

Prediction: Under 231

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