Houston Rockets vs Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Pick & Prediction 12/18/23

At 7:00 ET, the Rockets square off against the Cavaliers in a non-conference matchup in Cleveland. The Cavaliers come into the game with a record of 14-12, while the Rockets are 13-10. The Cavaliers are currently favored by 5 at BetUS sportsbook.

Will the Rockets Defense Show Up on the Road?

Currently, the Rockets are 9th in the Western Conference and rank 3rd in the Southwest division. Overall, they have a record of 13-10 and have gone 2-1 in their last three games.

Houston arrives with an ATS record of 16-6 for the season up to this point. Currently, the Rockets have a six game ATS win streak when they are favored, and they are 10-6 against the spread as underdogs.

The Rockets are coming off a good offensive performance, putting up 119 points vs. the Bucks. This figure is more than their season average of 109.9 points per game. Alperen Sengün is leading the team in scoring at 19.7 points per contest. Jalen Green has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 17.7 going into the game.

At this time, the Rockets’ defense is positioned 2nd in the NBA, permitting 106.1 points per game.

When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Rockets squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 52.1% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 31.1% from downtown.

Victor Oladipo (Out) Knee
Amen Thompson (Questionable) Illness

Can the Cleveland Offense Score Enough at Home?

Coming into today’s matchup against the Rockets, the Cavaliers are looking to stay above .500. With a 14-12 record, the Cavs are 8th in the Eastern Conference and 3rd in the Central division.

So far, Cleveland is below .500 in their ATS record, currently standing at 11-13. On the road, the Cavaliers have an ATS record of 6-5, as opposed to a 5-8 record against the spread when playing at home.

Cleveland’s offense had a good outing, putting up 127 points against the Hawks. They achieved a 48.5% field goal percentage and went 13/15 from the free-throw line. Leading the Cavaliers in scoring vs. the Hawks was Jarrett Allen with his 25 points. Donovan Mitchell also added 22 points for the Cavaliers.

This season, the Cavaliers defense has been impressive, holding the 8th position in the league while permitting an average of 111.2 points per contest.

Cleveland’s defense is currently forcing 13.8 turnovers per game, which is 20th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 20th in blocked shots, with an average of 4.6 rejections per game.

Ricky Rubio (Out) Personal
Darius Garland (Out) Jaw
Ty Jerome (Out) Ankle
Evan Mobley (Out) Knee

Rockets vs. Cavaliers Pick

When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Cavaliers vs. Cavaliers game, our recommendation is to take the Rockets at +5. Despite our model showing the Cavaliers winning 109-106, we like Rockets as our point-spread pick.

Pick: Take the Rockets at +5