The Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets made a big splash this offseason when they swapped star point guards, which sent John Wall to Texas and Russell Westbrook to D.C.
While the trade has not really paid off for either team at this point, the two will face off for the first time since the blockbuster trade in early December. Will Westbrook lead his new mates to the upset in his homecoming as 2.5-point underdogs? Or will Wall get the best of Washington?
Here are our NBA free picks and predictions for Wizards vs. Rockets on January 26, with tip-off set for 8:00 pm ET.
Washington Wizards at Houston Rockets Betting Preview
Injuries
Wizards: Raul Neto G (Questionable), Rui Hachimura F (Out), Ish Smith G (Out), Troy Brown Jr. F (Out), Davis Bertans F (Out), Deni Avdija F (Out), Mortiz Wagner C (Out).
Rockets: Christian Wood C (Questionable), Kevin Porter Jr. G (Out), Dante Exum G (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Over is 6-2 in the Wizards' last eight games overall and 5-0 in the Rockets' last five games versus a team with a losing SU record. Find more NBA betting trends for Wizards vs. Rockets.
NBA Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonHouston opened -1.5 late Monday night at DraftKings and moved to -3.5 by this morning, where the line remains as of 5:15 p.m. ET, less than three hours before tipoff. Ticket count and money are both running about 3/1 on the Rockets. The total opened at 232 and made a couple trips up to 233, and that's the current number, with the Over taking 52 percent of bets and 64 percent of money.
Check out the full line movement for this gameAgainst the Spread (ATS) Pick
The Wizards' offense is as high-octane as they come, but it's their defense that continues to lose them games. As a result, the Wiz are just 1-4 straight up over their last five and are coming off a disappointing 121-101 defeat at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs last time out.
The game was Westbrook’s first since Jan. 8 due to a quad injury, and he looked a little rusty. The point guard was held to nine points on 3-11 shooting with eight rebounds and six assists. And while Westbrook has just played a handful of games with his new team, his star running mate, Bradley Beal, is hearing his name in plenty of trade rumors.
Despite the perpetual losing, Beal continues to be a professional. The All-Star guard is lighting it up this year, leading the NBA in scoring at 35.4 points per game on 48.9 percent shooting, and he will be a handful for the Rockets.
Speaking of the Rockets, the Wall-Westbrook trade wasn’t the end of their wheeling and dealing, as disgruntled star James Harden was shipped off to Brooklyn a few games into the season. And that actually may have been a good thing for rookie head coach Stephen Silas, because the Rockets appear to be buying into his system.
The Rockets are 3-3 SU/ATS since Harden has left and the losses have been competitive for the most part and are coming off of an impressive 133-108 road victory over the Dallas Mavericks where Boogie Cousins had his first big scoring game of the season. This will also be the first game Wall plays with his new backcourt partner Victor Oladipo.
While the Rockets' chemistry could still be building on offense, they actually play defense, ranking 12th in defensive rating, and their depth will be the difference in covering a spread that seems to be giving the Wizards too much respect.
PREDICTION: Rockets -3.5 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
As mentioned, led by Beal, the Wizards can get buckets. They rank third in the NBA in scoring at 118.8 points per contest and are a very good shooting team from long range. Over the last eight games, where the Over is 6-2, that number bumps up to 122.4 and has come against some solid defensive teams including the 76ers, Suns, and Celtics.
Meanwhile, it is going to be interesting if the Rockets' last game was a sign of things to come. Cousins (is Boogie back?) got big minutes and produced, while Oladipo and Wall should be a good fit. Either way, they’ll get an opportunity to put up big numbers against a Wizards defense that gives ups up the most points per game in the NBA and ranks 29th in defensive rating. This one should be fun.
PREDICTION: Over 230.5 (-110)
Player Prop
You know we have to go with a John Wall prop here. While Westbrook was only in Houston for one season, Wall spent 10 years in D.C., so this game absolutely has some added significance. Wall missed five games with knee soreness and was eased back into the lineup, scoring just eight points in 20 minutes.
But the interesting part about that was that he had eight assists in those 20 minutes. With the Rockets using Boogie more and mixing in Oladipo, Wall could return to his elite ball distributing ways in Houston. Wall has averaged 9.2 assists per game over the course of his career and Washington ranks 21st in opponent assists per game. We’re betting Wall is dishing out the dimes in this one.
PREDICTION: John Wall Over 7.5 Assists (-110)
Wizards vs Rockets Betting Card
- Rockets -3.5 (-110)
- Over 230.5 (-110)
- John Wall Over 7.5 Assists (-110)
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