Cavaliers vs Rockets Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game

Farmer's prediction: Bank on a high-scoring affair in Houston.

Douglas Farmer - Betting Analyst at Covers
Douglas Farmer • Betting Analyst
Dec 27, 2025 • 13:52 ET • 4 min read

NBA

Match starts: 3 hrs
HOU
66 %
CLE
34 %
EXPERT PICK - TOTAL
o235.0 (-110)
Read Analysis
Kevin Durant Houston Rockets NBA
Photo By - Imagn Images. Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7).

Neither the Cleveland Cavaliers nor the Houston Rockets are humming these days. Cleveland has lost against the spread in seven of its last eight games, while Houston has stumbled ATS in six of its last eight.

One of them has to prevail tonight, but my Cavaliers vs. Rockets predictions avoid wondering about the spread. Instead, expect points in my NBA picks for Saturday, December 27.

Cavaliers vs Rockets prediction

Cavaliers vs Rockets best bet: Over 235.0 (-110)

It is not just that the Cleveland Cavaliers have cashed four straight Overs.

And it is not just that the Houston Rockets have cashed six Overs in their last eight games. 

It is that both defensive ratings have fallen off in the last 10 games, a worthwhile enough sample size to bet into.

Before Dec. 3, when the stretch of the last 10 games began, both defenses ranked in the top 10 in defensive rating. Houston’s, in particular, stood out, sitting at No. 3 by giving up just 111.1 points per 100 possessions.

In the last 10 games, though, the Rockets have posted the 19th defensive rating, five points worse per 100 possessions. Cleveland has fallen to No. 25 from No. 10, 5.3 points worse over the past few games.

Diagnosing the failures is the coaching staff’s job. Your job is to capitalize on them.

Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account Add as a preferred source on Google

Cavaliers vs Rockets same-game parlay

Alperen Sengun has cleared this prop in six of his last eight games.

Anytime this is in single digits, the decision should be clear. In trusting Sengun, putting faith in the home favorites also makes quick sense. 

Cavaliers vs Rockets SGP

  • Over 235.0
  • Rockets moneyline
  • Alperen Sengun Over 9.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: Disarmed

Evan Mobley will make life difficult for Sengun, who has already fallen short of this prop in his last two games and in three of his last four. 

Cavaliers vs Rockets SGP

  • Over 235.0
  • Alperen Sengun Over 9.5 rebounds
  • Alperen Sengun Under 21.5 points

Cavaliers vs Rockets odds

  • Spread: Cavaliers +4 (-110) | Rockets -4 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Cavaliers +145 | Rockets -170
  • Over/Under: Over 235 (-110) | Under 235 (-110)

Cavaliers vs Rockets betting trend to know

Cleveland has not only eclipsed the total in each of its last four games, but it has done so by an average of 16 points per game. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Rockets.

How to watch Cavaliers vs Rockets

Location Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Date Saturday, December 27, 2025
Tip-off 8:00 p.m. ET
TV FDSN Ohio, Space City Network

Cavaliers vs Rockets latest injuries

Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.

Pages related to this topic

Douglas Farmer
Betting Analyst

Douglas Farmer spends his days thinking about college football and his nights thinking about the NBA. His betting habits and coverage follow that same pattern. He covered Notre Dame football for various outlets from 2008 to 2024, most notably spending eight seasons as NBC Sports’ beat writer on the Irish. That was also when his gambling focus took off. Knowing there were veteran beat writers with three decades more experience than he had, Douglas found his niche by best recognizing Notre Dame’s standing in each year’s national landscape, a complex tapestry most easily understood and remembered via betting odds.

In 2021, that interest created a freelance opportunity with Covers, a role that eventually led to Douglas joining the company full-time in 2023. In the fall, Douglas will place five or six dozen bets each week, a disproportionate amount via BetRivers because the operator tends to have lines slightly different than the rest of the market. The same can be said of Circa Sports’ futures markets.

While Douglas is an avid NBA fan and covers the league throughout the year, the vast majority of his bets are on college football, because that is the biggest key to sports betting: Know what you do not know.

Popular Content

Covers is verified safe by: Evalon Logo GPWA Logo GDPR Logo GeoTrust Logo Evalon Logo