Houston Rockets vs Phoenix Suns 04/12/2021 NBA Odds, Preview, and Prediction

The Houston Rockets travel to the desert to take on the Phoenix Suns at the PHX arena.

Houston has dropped seven out of its last eight games and heads to Phoenix after back-to-back blowout losses against the L.A. Clippers and Golden State Warriors. The Rockets are 14-39 on the season and have the second-worst record in the league. Meanwhile, the Suns are 8-1 in their last nine games and have the NBA’s second-best record.

Phoenix barely beat Houston 133-130 in their most recent meeting on April 5, 2021.

Houston Rockets

While the other teams are battling for playoff position, the Rockets are fighting for the draft lottery. Houston is just 1.5 games better than the Minnesota Timberwolves in the team standings. The Rockets went on a 23-game losing streak earlier this season and have won just twice in their last 11 games.

In their last game, the Rockets committed 18 turnovers as they got blown out by the Golden State Warriors despite John Wall scoring 30 points. Kelly Olynyk had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds while Christian Wood also scored 18 points. D.J. Augustin came off the bench to score 19 points and issue 6 assists but their efforts were not enough for Houston.

The Rockets score the 7th fewest points in the league at 107.7 points per game this campaign. They are 27th in rebounding at 42.3 boards grabbed per contest, and 3rd in assists at 27.2 dimes per contest. Houston’s defense is also ranked 8th worst in the league at 113.6 points per game allowed.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns have moved up the team standings without the fanfare of the Brooklyn Nets or the Utah Jazz. At 37-15, they are just 2.5 games behind the Jazz for the best record in the league. Phoenix has lost just twice in their last 10 games played and they head to this game after a 28 point win over the hapless Washington Wizards.

Devin Booker scored 27 points while Deandre Ayton added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Chris Paul also contributed a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists as the Suns set a franchise-low with only three turnovers against Washington. Mikal Bridges scored 15 points while Cameron Payne and Jevon Carter each scored 14 points off the bench.

Phoenix is the 7th best scoring team in the league at 114.8 points per game. They have the league’s third-best scoring defense at 107.3 points per game allowed. The Suns are the third-best passing team in the league at 27.2 assists per game and they are 21st in rebounding at 43.5 boards grabbed per contest.

Who Wins?

Houston is 1-7 SU in their last 8 games played. The Rockets are 1-14 SU in their last 15 games played on the road. Phoenix is 8-1 SU in their last nine games played. The Suns are 5-0 SU in their last five games played at home. Head to head, the Rockets have won seven out of their last 10 meetings against the Suns. Houston is also 11-1 in their last 12 games played in Phoenix.

Meanwhile, the Suns are getting more confident with each passing day. Phoenix now has won 11 out of their last 13 games. Sure, this hot streak is going to end soon. But it won’t be against a struggling Rockets team that has shown no signs of life.

Prediction: Phoenix Suns

Other Bets to Make

The Rockets are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games played. Houston is 16-35 ATS in their last 51 games after an ATS loss, 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games as road underdogs, 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games against an opponent with a winning home record, 7-17 ATS in their last 24 games after scoring more than 100 points in their previous game, and 14-38 ATS in their last 52 games after an ATS loss and 4-11 ATS in their last 5 road games.

The Suns are 13-7 ATS in their last 20 games played. Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in their last five Monday games, 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games played against the Western Conference, 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against an opponent with a losing road record, 27-9 ATS in their last 36 games when playing on one day rest, 25-9 ATS in their last 34 games played at home, 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games as home favorites, and 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games played after an SU win of more than 10 points.

Head to head, the Suns are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played against the Rockets. Houston covered as +14 point underdogs the last time they player Phoenix, losing by only three points to the Suns in a hard-fought contest. But this game should end differently as it will be played in Phoenix where the suns have covered in 25 out of their last 34 games. Overall, the Suns are 42-18 in their last 62 games. I’ll lay the points and take the Suns.

Prediction: Phoenix Suns -13

The total has gone over in four out of the last five games played by Houston. The over is 6-1 in the Rockets’ last six games against the Western Conference, 4-0 in their last four games against an opponent with a winning record, 4-1 in their last five games after an ATS loss, 4-1 in their last five games as the betting underdog, and 4-1 in their last five games when their opponent scores 100 or more points in their previous game.

The total has gone over in each of the last five games of Phoenix as the betting favorite. The over is 4-0 in their last five games as home favorites, 4-0 in their last four games when playing on one day rest, 5-0 in their last five home games, 5-1 in their last six games after an SU win, 8-2 in their last 10 games after an SU win of more than 10 points, and 4-1 in their last five games against an opponent with a winning percentage of .400 or below.

The Rockets are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA but the issue with them is that they may not have enough firepower to help Phoenix hit the over in this game. The Suns are a high-scoring team, ranking 7th in the league in that department. But they also have one of the league’s top defenses at only 107.4 points per game allowed. Phoenix is a scoring machine but the Rockets don’t have enough firepower to keep up with them. The Suns break the game wide open early and then rest their stars as they coast in a game where they don’t need to unleash the entire arsenal.

Prediction: Under 228

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