On Thursday night, the Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers meet in Indianapolis at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Rockets aren’t going to the playoffs or going to be playing any meaningful basketball at the end of the regular season, but they’ve at least been showing up and being competitive some nights.
They are slowly showing improvement from last year, but there is a lot of work to do for the future. The Rockets are going into tonight at 10-22 on the season, with losses in four of their previous five attempts.
back home to host the Rockets ?
?: @GainbridgeFH
?️: https://t.co/ynsy7Yyzsg pic.twitter.com/8spdxxUNE6— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 23, 2021
In their most recent outing, Houston came out of Milwaukee with a 126-106 loss versus the Bucks. It was their third stop on this road trip.
The Rockets are on the road for two more games before heading back home to see the LA Lakers on December 28.
They take on a Packers squad on a slide of their own. It’s expected with the Rockets, but the Pacers want to be better than they’ve shown recently.
On Tuesday, Indiana is coming off a 125-96 loss versus the Miami Heat. Following a 122-113 win over the Detroit Pistons, that was a tough showing.
Over the last two weeks, their only win has been against the lowly Pistons. They have another opportunity against an inferior opponent this evening.
Head below for our free Rockets vs. Pacers pick on December 23, 2021.
Houston Rockets vs. Indiana Pacers Betting Odds and Team Statistics:
The following odds are courtesy of BetUS:
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Rockets | +9 (-110) | +320 | Over 222.5 (-110) |
| Indiana Pacers | -9 (-110) | -400 | Under 222.5 (-110) |
| Team Data | Houston Rockets | Indiana Pacers |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 10-22 | 13-19 |
| ATS Record | 16-15-1 | 15-16-1 |
| Away/Home Record | 3-15 | 10-7 |
| ATS Away/Home | 9-8-1 | 9-7-1 |
| Points Per Game | 106.8 | 107.6 |
| Points Against Per Game | 113.9 | 107.0 |
| Field Goal % | 45.1 | 45.7 |
| Three Point % | 34.0 | 32.4 |
Rockets vs. Pacers Prediction:
The Houston Rockets can be fun to watch in some games. Like many young teams, the Rockets don’t like to play much defense. However, their defensive effort has a lot of improving to do.
This should come in time for the Rockets. They’re a team that wants to run and gun but forget to get back and play defense. That tends to happen to players with a lot of NBA experience.
That’s especially true for the young ones looking to pad their stat sheet instead of helping the team win games. With maturity, better defense usually comes, though.
The Rockets are 28th in the NBA with 113.9 points against per game. Opposing teams are shooting a solid field goal percentage of 45.8% versus the Rockets. Expect the Pacers to find room to score.
Houston Rockets vs. Indiana Pacers Betting Trends:
Rockets
- 1-5 ATS in thier previous six games on a Thursday
- 0-4 ATS in their previous four games as an underdog
- OVER is 4-0 in their previous four games
- OVER is 6-0 in their previous six games after a loss
- OVER is 10-1 in thier previous 11 games on a back-to-back
Pacers
- 3-1-1 ATS in thier previous five games in Indianapolis
- 2-5-1 ATS in their previous eight games as the betting favorite
- OVER is 7-1 in their previous eight games as the betting favorite
- OVER is 4-0 in their previous four games after failing to cover the spread
- OVER is 8-2 in their previous ten games in Indianapolis
The Pacers have been letting their guard down on defense themselves recently. Indiana has conceded an average of 117.3 points per game through their previous three attempts.
The offense has at least picked it up, especially at home where they’ve scored 111 points per game this season. Conversely, the Rockets have gotten creamed for 115.7 points against per game on the road.
Through the Rockets’ previous five outings, they’ve conceded 121.2 points per game. It’s been typical for a team that doesn’t choose to play much defense.
The total looks a touch too low in this spot. I have it handicapped around 226.5 or 227 points, so the OVER looks like a good value play tonight.
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