Two of the four best win-loss records in the NBA clash on Monday night when the Houston Rockets visit TD Garden to take on the reigning champion Boston Celtics, with oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook listing the home side as the 6.5-point betting favorites on the spread (-108).
Here's a spread, moneyline, total, and player prop expert pick for this East vs. West showdown on January 27, 2025.
Houston Rockets vs. Boston Celtics Betting Odds
Preview: Houston Rockets vs. Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Rockets | +6.5 (-112) | +215 | O 222 (-110) |
| Boston Celtics | -6.5 (-108) | -260 | U 222 (-110) |
Odds as of January 27, 2025 at Sportsbook
Houston Rockets vs. Boston Celtics Expert Picks
Houston Rockets ATS +6.5 (-112), ML (+215)
Houston's ascension into one of the Association's most prolific two-way rosters has caught many by surprise, because after ranking 20th in offense and 10th in defense a season ago, it currently finds itself sitting ninth and fourth in those two categories, respectively, as just one of four teams to be doing so. This has resulted in a 30-14 record that's good enough for second in the Western Conference and fourth across the league, which should undoubtedly result in the franchise's first postseason berth since 2020.
In what will be their second meeting with the Celtics in 2024-25, the Rockets will be seeking redemption after getting blown out at the Toyota Center on Jan. 3, 109-86. While Boston was without Jaylen Brown and Al Horford that evening, Houston was missing the likes of Amen Thompson and Tari Eason, with Thompson especially having come on strong as of late with some exceptional production. The visitors will be carrying some heavy momentum this time around, at least having just strung together consecutive victories over the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers to improve to 8-2 over their last 10 outings.
While Boston has gone 3-1 in its last four games, the inconsistencies of the champs in the dog days of January (8-5, double-digit losses on four occasions) continue to seep through. They're just 5-6 SU and 4-7 over their last 11 home games, and while they're been favored by at least 6.5 points each time, the Celtics are just 7-14 covering the spread under said criteria. The Rockets, on the other hand, have dropped only one road game since Dec. 6, 2024, with just a pair of failed covers during that stretch.
It remains to be seen how much two competitive games which came down to the last few possessions versus Cleveland has taken out of Houston, but those results surely emboldened the team even further as it carries that confidence forward into Beantown looking to pull off what's only an upset on paper. It's difficult to foresee which version of the Celtics will show up this month, and since it's easier to determine what effort the Rockets will provide more often than not, at plus money, wagering on Houston is the upside play.
OVER 222 Total Points (-110)
The Rockets have reached an OVER with their total props in four-straight road games and six of their last seven, while Boston is 13-10 hitting OVERs at home with three in its last four.
The 195-point total earlier in the month can mostly be ignored as most of the aforementioned missing bodies will be active this go around.
Houston Rockets vs. Boston Celtics Player Prop
Alperen Sengun OVER 33.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-104)
Alperen Sengun has exceeded a 34.5 PRA in five of his last six games on the road, averaging 40.9 points + rebounds + assists over that span. He'll need just 33.5 against the Celtics to reach an OVER on Monday, which Sengun just accomplished against Cleveland's with a line of 26 points, eight boards, and three dimes in just 32 minutes of action on Saturday.
While he only got to a 32 PRA in his last appearance in Boston a season ago, the end result was a 32-point blowout for the Rockets, so Sengun would have gone OVER with just another minute or two of playing time as he saw just under 25 minutes of action.
Houston Rockets vs. Boston Celtics Betting Trends
- Jalen Green has failed to exceed 7.5 rebounds + assists in seven of his last nine games vs. top-10 defenses for assists allowed (six rebounds + assists/game average).
- Tari Eason has exceeded 15.5 points + rebounds in four of his last five games on the road (20.4 points + rebounds/game average).
- Jrue Holiday has exceeded 5.5 1H points in four of his last five games at home (six 1H points/game average).
*all betting trends courtesy of Outlier
