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Trail Blazers vs Rockets Prediction 1/18/25 NBA Picks Today
Houston Rockets (27-13) vs. Portland Trailblazers (13-27)
January 18, 2025 10:00 pm EDT
The Line: Portland Trailblazers +9.5; Over/Under: 225.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers collide at the Moda Center on Saturday night. Here’s a Trail Blazers vs Rockets Prediction. This article will include a Trail Blazers vs Rockets Pick.
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets have been in great shape as they’ve won six of their last eight games overall. The Rockets will be hoping to bounce back in this one after having their five-game win streak halted by the Kings in a 132-127 road defeat on Thursday. Jalen Green led the team with 28 points on 10 of 20 shooting, Alperen Sengun added 21 points with 10 rebounds and four steals while Amen Thompson chipped in with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. As a team, the Rockets shot 52 percent from the field and 12 of 33 from the 3-point line, but they could do little to slow down the Kings, who were always in control after pouring in 35 points in the second quarter. The Rockets trailed in this one by as many as 16 points before they rallied with 75 points in the second to get close in the end. The Rockets will face the Pistons and Cavs following this one.
Trail Blazers
Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers have been in a real funk as they’ve lost seven of their last nine games overall. The Trail Blazers will be hoping to arrest a four-game slide after getting trampled by the Clippers in a 118-89 home defeat on Thursday. Dalano Banton led the team with 23 points off the bench, Scoot Henderson added 16 points with six assists, while Deandre Ayton chipped in with 14 points. As a team, the Trail Blazers shot just 37 percent from the field and nine of 34 from the 3-point line. The Trail Blazers struggled to keep pace with the Clippers from the start and got outscored in every quarter to lose by double digits for the third straight game.
Why the Portland Trail Blazers will win
- The Trail Blazers have won three of their last five games as home underdogs against Western Conference opponents following a loss.
- The Rockets have lost each of their last three Saturday games as favorites.
- The Trail Blazers have covered the spread in five of their last six home games on the first leg of a back-to-back.
- The Rockets have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last nine road games against Northwest Division opponents that held a losing record.
Why the Houston Rockets will win
- The Trail Blazers have lost each of their nine previous games on the first leg of a back-to-back against the Rockets.
- The favorites have won each of the Rockets’ last eight games at Moda Center.
- The road team has covered the spread in each of the Trail Blazers’ last seven games.
- The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four games at Moda Center.
Total Points Facts
- Nine of the Rockets’ last 10 games as road favorites against opponents who are on the first leg of a back-to-back have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Trail Blazers’ last four games as underdogs following a home loss have gone UNDER the total points line.
Trail Blazers vs Rockets Prediction
The Rockets are still shorthanded with Jabari Smith Jr and Jock Landale both out, while the Trail Blazers have ruled out Deni Avdija but they have upgraded Jerami Grant to questionable for this contest. The Rockets hit a speed bump on Thursday when they lost to a streaky Kings team in a close one, but they were on a great run before that game. I am certainly more confident in the Rockets compared to the Trail Blazers, who are riding a four-game losing streak. The line is reasonable for this one, so I am taking the Rockets to bounce back with a big win and cover on the road against this slumping Trail Blazers team.