Houston Rockets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction: Inexperienced Rockets take on unsteady Cavs

The NBA Regular Season has now entered the trade territory and this is where major developments take place as teams look to build their depth. This has been one of the best seasons in recent memory. LeBron is just a few games away from breaking Kareem’s record, Luka Doncic had 60 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists historical triple-double. Then we had Donovan Mitchell dropping 71 points earlier in the season. Will Donovan play here as Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Houston Rockets?

Houston Rockets

The Rockets enter the game after losing 103:108 against the Washington WIzards after blowing a 25 points lead. This was a game they should have win because victories have been too scarce. This would have been a rare occasion this season if they had won two in a row because they have lost 14 of the last fifteen and have lost 19 of the 21 games. They have now lost 37 and won just 11 games. This was an expected result.

It was expected because they have two sophomores and one rookie in the starting lineup while the bench is also full of inexperienced players. Still, the prospects for the Rockets are encouraging considering their starting guard of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green can average around 50 combined. Alperen Sengun is becoming a player like Domantas Sabonis but has a lot of ground to cover. Jabari Smith Jr. is raw but has a high upside. Overall, the next draft will be a crucial one.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs enter the game after losing 103:105 against the Knicks despite a 24 points and 12 rebounds performance by Jarrett Allen. The Cavs have lost four of their last six games and they have not won two games in a row for three weeks or so. They had eight wins and one loss to start the season but they have lost 19 and won just 21 games to get to a 29 wins and 20 losses record.

The Cavs have been an amazing defensive, giving up 107.2 points a game which is the best in the league. They have allowed the least number of shots per game while denying the opposition multiple cracks at the basket and also slowing the pace down. The Cavs’ troubles are on the offensive end. They have the slowest pace which is not an issue if you produce enough but lately, their slow pace has halted their progress and they have struggled to get to even 110. They need to fix their offense asap in the deep Eastern Conference.

Injuries

• Rockets: OUT: Kevin Porter Jr;
• Cavaliers: OUT: Dylan Windler. Game-Time Decision: Donovan Mitchell.

Expert Betting Tips

The Cavaliers have had their fair share of struggles recently and they desperately need a winning streak to get their campaign back on track. The Rockets have had a couple of strong games but their lack of depth is apparent every game. Scoring-wise, Cavs have been even worse than Houston at times but the Rockets defense can help them out. At any rate, I predict the Cavs win whether Donovan plays or not. I predict a scoreline of 110:100 in favor of the Cavs.