Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction: Texas derby will remain for the Rockets

Prediction for the NBA match which will take place on January 2. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets demonstrate excellent play on defense and allow only 106.6 points per game on average - third place in the league in this indicator. The team has been winning steadily and currently sits in third place in the Western Conference with a 21-11 record.

On the eve of the matchup with Dallas, though, Houston lost two in a row. First, the Rockets blew a 15-point lead at home in the fourth quarter against Minnesota and lost 112:113. Then, also at home, the Texans fell short against Miami, 100-104. The meeting with the Heat was accompanied by a mass brawl, the instigator of which was Amen Thompson. Forward will miss the next two matches of his team.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks have three losses in the last four games - a consequence of Luka Doncic's injury. The Slovenian suffered the injury during a Christmas Day home game against Minnesota, which Dallas lost 99-105. Then the Mavs went on tour, where they beat Phoenix (98:89), but lost to Sacramento (100:110) and Portland (122:126).

At the same time, the tournament position of the team is still comfortable - the fourth line in the Western Conference with a balance of 20-13. However, Doncic is expected to miss about a month, and Dallas' position may deteriorate noticeably in the very near future.

Expert Betting Tips

Houston has one of the best defenses of the current season, while Dallas is having problems on offense in the absence of Luka Doncic. In this regard, we bet on a total under, as well as on the fact that the Mavericks will not manage to break their individual total.