Houston Rockets (10-20) at Chicago Bulls (18-10)
After back to back heavy defeats, the Rockets got back on track with a 116-107 win over the Pistons on Sunday morning. Christian Wood led the team in scoring with 21 pts and he also picked up 8 boards. With Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green both out, Wood will be the key offensively once again for the Rockets if they're looking to upset the Bulls on their home court.
Chicago will be on a back to back after a nice win over the Lakers 115-110 on Monday afternoon. DeMar DeRozan returned from a 2-week absence, showed no-rust and dominated the contest with 38 points. After a couple of postponed games, the Bulls should be well-rested and they'll look to get revenge over the Rockets after losing to them in late November.
The Rockets upset the Bulls by 5 points this season and they have been a good bet against the spread of late. In their last 13 games, they're 10-3 ATS and also 4-1 ATS when they're playing on the road. The Bulls could also struggle to get up after a big win over the Lakers and they'll be playing on back to back nights.
Stadium Record
The Bulls are 6-2 in their last 8 home games. Houston has won 4 of their last 5 in Chicago.
Head to Head Record
The Rockets won the first meeting of the season 118-113 and hold an 8-2 record in the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
Sacramento Kings (13-18) at Golden State Warriors (24-6)
The shorthanded Kings come off a nice win over the Spurs on Monday 121-114. They were without Fox and Holmes from the starting lineup. So Buddy Hield and Haliburton stepped up against the Spurs as they combined for 56 points. The duo will look to continue that form against a tough Warriors defence.
After a couple of tough road wins over the Celtics and Knicks, the Warriors rested their entire starting lineup against the Raptors on Sunday. Obviously, they were outmanned in the 119-100 loss but their starters will be well-rested for this matchup. However, they will be missing Andrew Wiggins and possibly Jordan Poole. So Gary Payton and Damion Lee should get extra playing time.
Both sides will be missing key players in their starting lineup but the Kings at the line does look attractive. They have a nice 8-1 ATS record against the Warriors on the road and the Warriors have failed to cover in 4 of their last 6 games. If this does turn into a blowout, Steph Curry likely won't play his full minutes and the Kings should be able to take advantage.
Stadium Record
The Warriors have won 13 of their last 14 home games. The Kings have covered in 8 of their last 9 on the road against Golden State.
Head to Head Record
Golden State beat the Kings 119-107 in October and have won 6 of the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
Sacramento Kings +14.5 = $1.87
San Antonio Spurs (11-18) at LA Clippers (16-14)
After a massive upset over the Jazz 128-126, the Spurs couldn't follow up that performance as they went down to the Kings on Monday, 121-114. However, Dejounte Murray was strong for the Spurs as he finished with 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. As a team, they'll look to improve on a slow first quarter and a high turnover count against the Kings.
Meanwhile, the Clippers are looking to bounce back on their home court after a short and unsuccessful road trip. They lost to the Jazz by 21 and then lost to the Thunder via a buzzer-beater (104-103). However, the Clippers have won 3 straight games on their home court, including an impressive 111-95 win over the Suns. In terms of injuries/lineup news, Paul George has been ruled out for this one. As well as Marcus Morris, Hartenstein and Ibaka.
There's a lot of uncertainty about this game as the Clippers lineup will determine the favourite in this clash. However, at this stage, the Spurs do look good value to pull off the victory. Los Angeles has lost their last 2 games and Paul George has been ruled out for this matcuhp. If Dejounte Murray can continue to shoot well, the Spurs should have enough points in them. They've also covered in 4 of their last 5 road games.
Stadium Record
Los Angeles have won 11 of their last 16 home games. The Spurs have lost 8 of their last 11 at this venue against LA.
Head to Head Record
Los Angeles beat the Spurs 106-92 at this venue in November and hold a 7-3 record in the last 10 matchups.
Best Bet
