Despite losing Alperen Sengun to injury, the Houston Rockets are riding a three-game win streak and will look to make it four in a row tonight against the Washington Wizards. These two teams have not faced off yet this season, but the Wizards currently have the worst record in the league.
Despite missing Sengun–Houston’s best player–the Rockets are heavy favorites coming into the matchup. Washington recently broke a 16-game losing streak with back-to-back victories, but quickly dropped a game to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Both teams have pretty hefty injury reports. On top of Sengun, Houston will be without Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore, and Steven Adams. Washington will not play Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers, and Richaun Holmes is questionable.
Keep it posted here for our three best bets, powered by the lines at SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point spread: Wizards +7.5 (-105)/Rockets -7.5 (-118)
Money line: Wizards (+255)/Rockets (-333)
Over/under: 227.5
Our Picks
Safe pick: Jalen Green OVER 22.2 points (-133)
Jordan Poole is not a good defender, and Tyus Jones is serviceable, but nothing special on that end. Sure, Bilal Coulibaly and Deni Avdija are good on defense, but they specialize in defending wings, not shifty guards like Jalen Green. He is averaging 20 points over his last five games, but the lack of defense from Washington should allow him to excel.
Opponent pick: Kyle Kuzma OVER 23.5 points (-125)
With the absence of Sengun, Houston took a toll on their interior presence. Kuzma is willing to shoot from anywhere, and Washington has allowed him to hoist up shots. He averages 19 shots per game on the season, but that has increased recently and he averages 26.4 points over his last five games.
Team pick: OVER 227.5 total points (-110)
Both teams have a mediocre scoring offense this season, and Houston has a top-ten defense. However, the Wizards have had the worst defense in the league for most of the season, and allow more points than anyone. With the Rockets injured and hurting on the defensive end, expect this game to be a high-scoring affair.
