Rockets Look To Cool Off Heat
Dwight Howard (back) is listed as day-to-day ahead of Houston’s game with Miami on Tuesday.
The Houston Rockets host the Miami Heat Tuesday night in a matchup of two of the league’s hottest teams.
Tip-off at the Toyota Center is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.
Houston (40-19, 23-7 home) has come on strong since the turn of the year and is looking more and more likely to become a threat to go deep into the playoffs in a little more than six weeks from now. But plenty of teams have looked sharp early in March only to falter down the stretch, something the Rockets will be only too well aware off.
Kevin McHale’s side will get the opportunity to test itself over the next 12 days as it faces six playoff caliber sides over the course of seven games. As well as a pair of meetings with the Heat (tonight, Mar. 16), the Rockets will also face the Indiana Pacers (Mar. 7), Portland Trail Blazers (Mar. 9), Oklahoma City Thunder (Mar. 11), and Chicago Bulls (Mar. 13). A successful run through this gauntlet will give the side all the confidence it needs to make a push going forward.
Winners of 11 of the last 13 and with a 19-6 record since January 1, the Rockets already have plenty to be confident about. On Saturday, the side defeated the Detroit Pistons to bounce back from a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last Wednesday.
Now the Rockets will look to gain further ground on the San Antonio Spurs, currently three games to the good in the Southwest Division standings. But gaining ground could be tough with the arsenal of talent Houston will be playing over the next two weeks. It might be even tougher if Dwight Howard is missing.
CSN Houston is reporting that both Howard and Jeremy Lin missed Monday’s practice, each suffering from a sore back. Both are listed as day-to-day, which means we’ll have to wait until game time to learn whether they’ll take the court.
With or without Howard and Lin, the Heat poses a tough challenge.
Miami (43-14, 19-10 road) enters Tuesday night’s showdown on an eight-game winning streak, and has won 17 of its last 20 contests. That’s the sort of form a team is looking for heading into the final stretch.
Monday night saw the Heat make short work of the Charlotte Bobcats in a game that became back page and opening segment fodder immediately afterwards.
LeBron James scored a career-high 61 points as he torched the Cats on 22-of-33 shooting, including 8-of-10 from behind the arc. He actually made his first eight shots from downtown. He added seven boards and five dimes for good measure.
The 61 points – which overshadowed a tremendous performance from Charlotte’s Al Jefferson, who tallied 38 points and 19 rebounds – also set a franchise record, surpassing the record of 56 set by Glen Rice in 1995.
Now James and Miami will look to win a ninth straight and begin to close the gap on Indiana, currently two games ahead in the race for the Eastern Conference’s best record.
Miami Heat vs. Houston Rockets odds for 03/04/2014
Houston was an expected favorite prior to James’ career night on Monday and news of Howard’s ailment. As it stands, Miami is the favorite with most sportsbooks, although if you shop around you can find even money and even the occasional bookie willing to offer favorable odds for the Rockets.
Miami has won seven straight against the Rockets, and will look to extend that streak when the two meet for the first time this season on Tuesday. That streak includes three wins at the Toyota Center.
The spread is currently at 1 and not much more.
Miami (29-27-1 ATS) has come on strong against the spread in recent weeks, and is 7-0-1 ATS in its last eight. Houston (30-26-3 ATS) is 10-10-0 ATS over its last 20 games.
However, the Rockets are 3-1-0 ATS against Miami in their last four meetings and 4-2-0 ATS in the last six the two teams have played in Space City. With the Heat playing the second game of a back-to-back and the Rockets well rested, McHale’s side could be a threat against the spread.
The over/under opened at 211.5 and has slipped to 210. Both teams are capable of scoring big, but only Miami (33-24-0) has favored the over this season. Houston (27-30-2) has favored the under.
The total has gone over in five of Houston’s last seven contests though. It has also gone over in seven of the last 10 head-to-head meetings and six of the last seven the two sides have played at the Toyota Center. The over therefore looks like the smart bet.
After Monday’s career-high 61 points, will LeBron James suffer a comedown?
The Rockets will travel to South Florida to play the Heat on Sunday, March 16, bringing the season head-to-head to a close for another year.
For a full list of today’s NBA odds, click here.
For the latest NBA futures odds, click here.
For the latest NBA team prop bets, click here.
For the latest NBA player prop bets, click here.
