Tuesday’s seven-game NBA schedule is headlined by a double-header on NBC that begins with the New York Knicks visiting the Houston Rockets. It is a must-see matchup between two teams that are heading straight for the playoffs in their respective conferences.
Let’s dive into my Knicks vs. Rockets prediction.
Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves odds
Money line: Knicks -112 / Rockets -108
Spread: Knicks -1 (-106) / Rockets +1 (-114)
Total: Over 217.5 (-110) / Under 217.5 (-110)
New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets best bet #1: Rockets ML (-108)
Houston came up short 108-106 on February 21 in the first meeting between these two teams this season. However, there is no need if you are a Rockets fan to be discouraged by that result. If anything, it’s encouraging. One, it was in New York. Two, Houston really should have won; the visitors built a 16-point lead going into the fourth quarter before collapsing. The Rockets lost by just two points even though they turned the ball over an absurd 19 times. That is unlikely to happen again for a team that committed a mere eight TOs during last weekend’s 134-102 blowout of New Orleans. Head coach Ime Udoka’s team is playing solid basketball overall right now. It has won two straight and four of its last six, with one of the losses during this stretch coming in OT (110-108 in Minnesota). Alperen Sengun has scored 30 points or more in three of the last four contests.
Home-court advantage should be a considerable factor in the Rockets’ bid to get revenge for their February setback. Other than back-to-back losses to the Lakers in mid-March, they have not lost at home in regulation since February 11. Houston is 25-10 inside the Toyota Center compared to 20-19 on the road. The Knicks have an even more extreme home-road difference: 27-9 at Madison Square Garden; 20-18 on the road. New York is 2-6 against the spread in its last eight contests and 0-4 ATS in the last four H2H against Houston.
Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks best player pro bet: Kevin Durant Over 2.5 three-pointers (+118)
Durant forked up 10 three-pointers against New York last month, connecting on four. The veteran should be in line for another strong performance from the land of plenty against a team whose perimeter defense is unspectacular. The Knicks are 19th in the association in three-point percentage defense (36.9). That climbs to 39.8 percent over the last three games. Meanwhile, Durant has exceeded this quota in four of his last six outings — including two efforts with five triples.