Toyota Center features an NBA battle between the host Houston Rockets and the visiting Boston Celtics in betting action on Friday.

Houston will face the 12-9 Celtics, who own a 8-10-3 ATS mark on the season. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). In totals betting, the Rockets are 12-9 favoring the UNDER so far this season while the Celtics are 12-8-1 favoring the OVER.



View Boston vs Houston Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had set the Rockets as 1.5-point underdogs on the Sportsbook line for this contest. The total was listed earler at 206, but may be on the move at Sportsbook and other top sites.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Rockets sit at No. 12 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Celtics are at No. 18 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Celtics will win this game 102-101.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Houston's No. 3-ranked offense (104.2 PPG) against a Celtics defense that ranks No. 16 at 97.5 PPG. The Rockets have averaged 43.7% from the field per game, less than the Celtics have managed so far this season (47.3% on average).

Defensively, the Celtics feature the league's No. 15-rated defense on the road, giving up 99.3 points per game. Houston, meanwhile, comes in at No. 4 in the league in scoring at home.

Last time out for Boston, they were a 117-115 Sportsbook as they battled the Mavericks at home. The Celtics failed to cover in the match as a 6-point favorite, while 232 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Dallas was victimized by Paul Pierce for 34 points as the Celtics defeated the Mavericks 117-115 in NBA action on Wednesday.

Houston won its last outing, a 99-93 result against the Wizards on December 12. The Rockets failed to cover in that game as a 10.5-point favorite, while the 192 combined points took the game UNDER the total. The Rockets got a 31-point performance from James Harden as Houston handed Washington a 99-93 defeat on Wednesday at Toyota Center.


Boston Celtics Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing San Antonio are 8-2
After playing Dallas are 3-7
After a win are 4-6

Houston Rockets Trends:
When playing on Friday are 7-3
Before playing Toronto are 6-4
After playing Washington are 8-2
After a win are 4-6

A few Celtics at Rockets trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games when playing on the road against Houston
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games when playing at home against Boston
Houston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 9 games


Next up:
Boston at San Antonio, Saturday, December 15
Houston at Toronto, Sunday, December 16