Wall, Rockets Host Depleted Wizards

Washington (3-9 SU, 6-6 ATS) and Houston (6-9, 6-9) have combined to score at least 254 points in each of their last three meetings, but don’t be surprised if we see a much lower-scoring affair Tuesday in John Wall’s first game against his former team. The Rockets have gone UNDER the total in nine of their last 12 games.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Oddsmakers waited until Tuesday morning to open a line on this game and early bettors quickly pounced on Houston, betting the Rockets to -4.5 at the time of writing. The Sportsbook total of 231 is the second-highest OVER/UNDER for a Houston game this season, but it’s the second-lowest for a Wizards contest since December 27.

Washington News & Notes

The Wizards are still without six players due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols and that lack of depth appeared to hurt them down the stretch in Sunday’s 121-101 loss at San Antonio. Playing for the first time in nearly two weeks after having its previous six games postponed, Washington trailed just 48-47 at halftime and 85-77 after three before getting outscored 36-24 in the final frame.

The long layoff didn’t cool off Bradley Beal, who hit 13 of 29 field-goal attempts on the way to scoring 27-plus points for the 11th straight game. Unfortunately for Beal, who has cracked the 30-point plateau in five of his last six, he continues to get little help from his teammates. Russell Westbrook struggled badly Sunday in his first game since January 8, missing eight of his 11 shots and finishing with just nine points.

Westbrook’s minutes were capped at 25 in the loss as he continues to work his way back from a quad injury, and his backup, Raul Neto, is questionable for Tuesday with a groin ailment. That could mean increased playing time once again for guard Jerome Robinson, who is averaging 29 minutes and 14 points per game in his last two outings.

Houston News & Notes

Despite playing without their top two scorers Saturday, the Rockets exploded for a season-high 133 points in Dallas to win their second straight following a three-game losing streak.

Four different Houston players enjoyed their highest-scoring outings of the season, led by 28 points, 17 rebounds and five assists from DeMarcus Cousins. Eric Gordon added 33 points on 10-for-17 shooting, including six of nine from behind the arc.

Cousins could have an opportunity to shine again as power forward Christian Wood, who leads Houston at 23.5 points per game, is likely to miss his third straight game with an ankle injury. However, Victor Oladipo and his 22.3 points per game are expected to return to the lineup after the shooting guard sat out Saturday’s contest to rest his sore quadriceps in the second game of a back-to-back.

Playing for the first time against his former team, Wall also looks to make a bigger contribution in his second game back from right knee soreness that sidelined him for nine games. Wall scored seven points but added eight assists and committed just one turnover in 21 minutes vs the Mavericks.

Betting Pick: UNDER 231

Houston has been playing at a slower pace since the James Harden trade while the Wizards’ lack of depth may force them to slow things down as well.