Philadelphia has lost four straight road games, and now the 76ers have to play at Houston, where they have lost in seven of their last eight visits. While the Rockets are playing well and have recent history on their side, they surprisingly opened as only 4-point favorites.
- Date/Time: January 3, 8 p.m. ET
- Arena: Toyota Center
- TV Coverage: ESPN, TSN, NBC Sports Philadelphia, AT&T SportsNet - Southwest
- Sportsbook Odds: Rockets -4 | O/U 224.5
- 76ers vs Rockets Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Houston opened as only a 4-point home favorite, which is interesting when you consider that Houston is 12-4 SU at home this season and Philadelphia is 7-11 SU on the road — plus the Rockets have won seven of their last eight home games against the 76ers.
Philadelphia News & Notes
The 76ers wrap up a four-game road trip with Friday’s visit to Houston, and they cannot wait to get home and enjoy some home cooking.
Following its 115-97 loss at Indiana on New Year’s Eve, Philadelphia has lost the first three games of this road trip. It has lost four straight road games overall and sits at just 7-11 SU and 7-10-1 ATS on the road this season.
The Sixers were without all-star center Joel Embiid for Tuesday’s loss, as he was sidelined with a sore knee. Josh Richardson scored a team-high 20 points in the defeat, while Ben Simmons added 18 points of his own.
The good news is Simmons and Richardson should get some relief, as Embiid has been upgraded to probable for Friday’s tilt. The bad news is that Philadelphia has only won two of its last 11 games against the Rockets, who have been torching opposing defenses all season.
Houston News & Notes
The Rockets are approaching the midway point of the season completely healthy. And if its most recent game was any indication, Houston will be making a lot of noise in the Western Conference going into the playoffs.
After a loss to New Orleans in which James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Clint Capela all sat out, the entire gang returned Tuesday — along with Eric Gordon, who missed six weeks following knee surgery — and lit up the Nuggets in a 130-104 victory.
After being held to only 27 points in his first matchup with Denver, Harden went off for 35 points as the team shot 52.9 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from behind the arc — against the league’s top defense.
Houston is 6-2 SU in its last eight games and now welcomes a 76ers squad that is struggling on the road, especially at the Toyota Center, where Houston has won seven of the last eight matchups.
Betting Pick: Rockets -4
Houston is healthy, Philadelphia is not great on the road and the Rockets have owned the Sixers recently. I’ll take Houston to cover.
- The UNDER is 4-2 in Houston’s last 6 games vs Philadelphia.
- Houston is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games vs the Atlantic Division.
- Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games vs Houston.
