Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction: The Mavs struggle on the road but Rockets too vulnerable

NBA Regular Season is on and what a fantastic start this has been. Well, calling it a start is a bit of stretch at this point, as the Christmas Week signifies that the Midseason window is knocking on the door. In this NBA affair, the Houston Rockets are going to take on the Dallas Mavericks.

The Rockets come into this game after losing 110:116 against the Orlando Magic despite an electric 31 points night by Point Guard Kevin Porter Jr. This marked the fourth straight loss for the team, and sums up their performances this season. The team had a decent period in the middle, winning five of the nine games before the losing streak, but the overall picture looks bleak with just nine wins and 22 losses piled up. Their main scorer has been Jalen Green and during most of the wins, he has scored 20+. Porter Jr. has shown some improvements whereas the frontcourt of Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun has showcased a ton of promise.

The Mavs come into this game after winning 104:99 against the Timberwolves as Luka Doncic rolled in 25 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds. The win curbed a two-game losing streak but despite that, the Mavs have lost five of their last eight games. They have an underwhelming 16 wins and 16 losses record following their appearance in West Finals last season. On the road, they have acquired less than 40% wins. Luka Doncic continues to be the helmsman receiving great support from Tim Hardaway Jr, who has recovered his ways. Christian Wood and Spencer Dinwiddie have provided decent offense but overall, Dallas are bereft of quality offense on the nightly basis.

• Rockets: OUT: Jae’Sean Tate. Eric Gordon. QUESTIONABLE: Garrison Mathews;
• Mavericks: OUT: Kemba Walker, Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Green, Maxi Kleber.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Luka Doncic(30-35 Points), Jalen Green(22-26 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounderes: Luka Doncic(9-11 Rebounds), Alperen Sengun(8-10 Rebounds), Jabari Smith Jr.(7-9 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Luka Doncic(9-12 Assists), Kevin Porter Jr.(5-8 Assists).

The Rockets’ season has been another disappointing one but that is understandable for a team that has relied upon inexperienced players. The Mavs are way more experienced and despite their woes away from home, they will back themselves. The Mavericks are missing three of their dynamic defenders(Kleber, Finney-Smith, Green) but they held the fort well in the last game. I expect their defense to hold the fort again and predict a 118:104 win in their favor.