Houston (37-13) at Cleveland (30-20)
When: Saturday, February 3rd 2018
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
Time: 8:35 ET | TV: ABC
Opening Odds: Houston -3.5/234.5
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LeBron James is still swatting away rumors on where he will land next season, as he tries to guide his team back up the Eastern Conference standings. The Cleveland Cavaliers will get tested on Saturday night when they host the Houston Rockets at Quicken Loans Arena. James called a recent report linking him to the Golden State Warriors as “nonsense” while leading Cleveland to wins in three of its last four games. Cleveland knocked off Miami 91-89 on Wednesday to start a brief two-game homestand and James recorded 24 points and 11 boards. The Cavaliers sit in third place in the East, but teams behind them are closing in. The Rockets have been thrown out as a possible landing spot for James next season, but they are doing just fine and enter Saturday’s matchup with the second-best record in the NBA. Houston began its four-game road trip with a 102-91 win at San Antonio on Thursday behind another spectacular game from All-Star guard James Harden. Houston took the first meeting with Cleveland at home – 117-113 on November 9th behind 35 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists from Harden.
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Harden set the franchise scoring record and became the first player in NBA history with a 60-point triple-double in a win over Orlando on Tuesday before settling for 28 points and 11 assists in Thursday’s victory over the Spurs. Harden also added a pair of blocks and a steal against the Spurs as the Rockets held the Spurs to 42.2% shooting and 6-of-24 from beyond the arc. Point guard Chris Paul sat out the Orlando game and returned to just 10 points on 5-of-14 shooting and two assists against San Antonio. Eric Gordon, who averages 19.1 points a game, sat out Thursday with a back injury and is questionable for Saturday.
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Cleveland seems to have righted the ship a bit after dropping 10 of 13 and is doing it without power forward Kevin Love. The All-Star suffered a broken hand in Tuesday’s loss at Detroit, but the team announced on Friday that he will not require surgery and will miss eight weeks. The Cavaliers managed to win without Love on Wednesday, with Jae Crowder moving back into the starting lineup and adding 11 points and seven rebounds in the close victory over the Heat. Point guard Isaiah Thomas went 2-of-15 from the floor on Wednesday and is shooting 36.3% in 12 games.
Cleveland is playing better right now, but their defense is still terrible. We know the Rockets can light up the scoreboard and they will have no trouble doing that here in Cleveland.
Pick: Rockets -3.5
- Rockets are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 vs. NBA Central.
- Rockets are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS win.
- Rockets are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Saturday games.
- Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Rockets are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
- Rockets are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Cavaliers are 16-34-2 ATS in their last 52 home games.
- Cavaliers are 16-34-1 ATS in their last 51 vs. Western Conference.
- Cavaliers are 16-38-1 ATS in their last 55 games overall.
- Cavaliers are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games following a straight up win.
- Cavaliers are 9-23-1 ATS in their last 33 games following a ATS loss.
- Cavaliers are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 vs. NBA Southwest.
- Cavaliers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Cavaliers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 2 days rest.
- Cavaliers are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Cavaliers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Saturday games.
- Cavaliers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Under is 5-0 in Rockets last 5 games following a ATS win.
- Under is 4-0-1 in Rockets last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 9-1 in Rockets last 10 overall.
- Under is 9-1-1 in Rockets last 11 road games.
- Under is 8-1 in Rockets last 9 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 7-1 in Rockets last 8 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Under is 7-1 in Rockets last 8 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 11-3 in Rockets last 14 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Over is 7-2 in Rockets last 9 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
- Under is 7-3 in Rockets last 10 Saturday games.
- Under is 7-3-1 in Rockets last 11 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Under is 14-6 in Rockets last 20 vs. NBA Central.
- Under is 34-15-2 in Rockets last 51 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Over is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 3-0-1 in Cavaliers last 4 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Cavaliers last 6 overall.
- Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Over is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 vs. Western Conference.
- Over is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 vs. NBA Southwest.
- Over is 15-6 in Cavaliers last 21 Saturday games.
- Over is 5-2 in Cavaliers last 7 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Over is 12-5-1 in Cavaliers last 18 games playing on 2 days rest.
- Rockets are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Cleveland.
- Over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in Cleveland.
- Underdog is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
- Road team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
