Bettors will be looking to hit pay dirt on Monday when the Knicks try to run the Rockets off the court at Madison Square Garden in pro hoops action.

(Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). The Knicks currently sports a record of 18-5, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 14-9 ATS. The Rockets are 11-12 and 10-12-1 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Knicks post a 13-8-2 OVER/UNDER record this season, while the Rockets have gone 12-11 against the number.



View Houston vs New York Odds and Stats.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
This game matches up the No. 11 (Knicks) and the No. 13 (Rockets) teams in the league, according to our current NBA Power Rankings at Odds Shark. A 109-101 result in favor of the Knicks is predicted by handicapping models.



How They Match Up:
In rebounding, the battle of the boards features New York's No. 28-rated squad against Houston's No. 6-rated roster. When it comes to long-range shooting, New York rates No. 1 in the league with 12 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 2 with 9.6 per outing.

Defensively, the Rockets feature the league's No. 30-rated defense on the road, giving up 107.6 points per game. New York, meanwhile, comes in at No. 3 in the league in scoring at home.

The Rockets were a 103-96 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Raptors. They failed to cover the 4.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (199) made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors. James Harden went off for 28 points and added 4 rebounds but it wasn't enough as Toronto defeated Houston, 103-96 at Air Canada Centre.

The Knicks were a 103-102 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against the Cavaliers. They failed to cover the 10.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (205) made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors. Raymond Felton went off for 25 points and added 5 rebounds leading New York over Cleveland, 103-102, on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.


Houston Rockets Trends:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing Philadelphia are 6-4
After playing Toronto are 2-8
After a loss are 5-5

New York Knicks Trends:
When playing on Monday are 4-6
Before playing Brooklyn are 7-3
After playing Cleveland are 6-4
After a win are 7-3

A few Rockets at Knicks trends to consider:
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
Houston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 5 games at home
New York is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 6 games


Next up:
Houston home to Philadelphia, Wednesday, December 19
New York home to Brooklyn, Wednesday, December 19