Crocked Rockets Host Mavs

Dwight Howard and the Rockets will look to fend off the Dallas Mavericks Monday.

Plagued by injury, the Houston Rockets host the Dallas Mavericks Monday night in a battle of in-state rivals.

Tip-off at the Toyota Center in downtown Houston is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.

Houston (18-10, 9-4 home) finds itself facing a string of injuries that could hinder its bid to climb the Western Conference standings.

Kevin McHale’s side will be missing center Omer Asik (thigh) for sure when it takes to the hardwood Monday night but could also be without forward Greg Smith (knee) and guards James Harden (ankle) and Jeremy Lin (back), all of whom are currently listed as day-to-day.

Lin has been absent for the last four games having already missed six games this season. Harden, who leads the team with 23.9 points and 5.6 assists per game, missed Saturday’s 114-97 win over the Detroit Pistons.

If missing Lin and Harden wasn’t enough for the Houston backcourt, Patrick Beverley – currently in the starting lineup ahead of Lin – fractured his right hand in Saturday’s game and will miss the next four to six weeks of action.

Expect Aaron Brooks and Francisco Garcia to see extended minutes, even if Lin and Harden do return to the lineup.

Dallas (15-12, 4-9 road) will look to take advantage of Houston’s long list of injuries and pick up a second straight win over the Rockets.

The Mavericks were victorious in a November 20 meeting between the sides at American Airlines Center in Dallas, evening the season head-to-head after Houston won at home on November 1.

Rick Carlisle’s side will also look to nix a poor string of results away from the Metroplex. The Mavericks have lost three straight on the road and recorded just four wins in total away from home.

Defense has been a huge issue for the Mavericks. While the team averages 103.5 points per game (7th in the NBA) and has six players averaging double figures on offense, the Mavericks are unable to defend. On Saturday, Dallas allowed 123 points in a loss to the Phoenix Suns, a high-water mark for the team this season.

Against the second best offense in the league, the Mavericks may struggle again.

Dwight Howard will almost certainly become the focal point of Houston’s offense if Harden and Lin are absent. Howard scored 35 against the Pistons on Saturday, his highest output of the season. His second highest (33) came against Dallas on November 20. Chandler Parsons – averaging 17.1 points per game – had 21 in that same game. The forward will be another vital part of Houston’s offense on Monday.

Dallas continues to play without guard Devin Harris, whose recovery from a foot injury appears to have taken a step back over the past week. Harris has yet to play a game in his return to the Mavericks.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets odds for 12/23/2013

With Harden and Lin’s availability uncertain, Vegas sportsbooks have yet to release betting lines for this game. BettingSports.com will have them as soon as they’re available. For now, here are some of the trends you need to keep in mind.

Dallas is 8-2 in its last 10 games against Houston and has gained ground in the all-time head-to-head, which currently stands at 80-77 in favor of the Rockets.

Houston (15-11-2 ATS) has covered the spread more times than not this season while Dallas (13-13-1 ATS) has evenly split the spread. The Rockets covered in the earlier meeting between the teams in Houston, while the last matchup finished with a push.

Dallas is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 games against Houston and 8-4-1 ATS in the last 13 played at Toyota Center.

Both Dallas (15-12-0) and Houston (15-13-0) have marginally favored the over this season, as you might expect from two of the highest scoring teams in the league. Both earlier meetings this season saw the total go over.

Five of the last seven meetings between the Rockets and Mavericks have seen the total go over, as have five of the last six games played between the sides in Houston.

After Monday night’s game, the Mavericks will host the Rockets on January 29 to close out the regular season series between the sides this season. After that, a playoff series between the two sides would not be beyond the realms of plausibility.

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