El Jefe
Heading into their next game, the Houston Rockets (10-25) will square off against the New York Knicks (18-18) in Houston on Saturday, December 31 at Toyota Center. As we make our way through the middle part of the season, each of these teams will of course be in search of a win to build on. The action starts at 6:00 PM CT, so don’t forget to make your picks before it’s too late!
For context on Saturday’s mid-season showdown, how have the Rockets and the Knicks performed against each other in the past?
So far this season, these franchises haven’t competed yet and the Rockets are prepping for their first confrontation with the Knicks. In their most recent meeting on December 16, 2021, the score was 103-116 in favor of the Knicks. In that game, the Rockets had a 50% field goal percentage and a 34.38% three pointer percentage, whereas the Knicks had a 46.99% field goal percentage and shot 47.22% from the perimenter. Elsewhere on the stat sheet, Houston grabbed 29 rebounds and 29 assists while New York had 40 boards and 25 assists.
Betting Preview for the New York Knicks vs Houston Rockets NBA Game on December 31 2022
Where: Toyota Center in Houston, Texas
When: Saturday, December 31, 2022
Betting on the New York Knicks
Record: 18-18 | Atlantic Division Standing: 4
The New York Knicks have dropped five consecutive games and are presently in 8th place in the conference. In their previous game they lost to the Indiana Pacers, 121-107, in the face of RJ Barrett’s performance. In that game, Barrett, who won’t be playing during the next game due to an injury, generated 26 points (73.33 FG%) and Alec Burks had 22 points (50.0 FG%). Check out our analysis further down to learn how this performance has informed their odds for the upcoming game versus Houston on Saturday.
Absences and Injuries
The Knicks will play without RJ Barrett (Finger) and Obi Toppin (Knee). Jalen Brunson (Hip) is questionable.
Betting on the Houston Rockets
Record: 10-25 | Southwest Division Standing: 5
The Houston Rockets were beaten by the Portland Pilots in their most recent game on Saturday, 128-126, in spite of excellent performances from James Harden and Christian Wood. Harden came up with 44 points (57.14 FG%, six 3-pointers) and 17 assists, whereas Christian Wood chipped in 31 points (63.64 FG%) and 13 rebounds. The Rockets are in the last position in their conference currently. Be sure to review our odds analysis for Saturday’s game below and consider how the team’s recent performance could impact their meeting against New York.
Absences and Injuries
As far as inactive players go, the Rockets are lacking Jae’Sean Tate (Ankle).
Knicks vs Rockets | Moneyline, Over/Under and Point Spread Odds
Moneyline Pick: New York Knicks (-220) at FanDuel
The New York Knicks are considered the favorite. The squad has a winning percentage of 53.33% for this month (a record of eight wins and seven losses) while the Houston Rockets have gotten 33.33% for this month (five wins and ten losses).
Over/Under Pick: Over 227.5 Total Points (-110) at DraftKings
It is predicted that the total score for the game will be over 227.5.
The Houston Rockets are getting 109.67 points a game up through now this month. Alternatively, the New York Knicks are recording 108.8 points per game so far this December.
Spread Pick: Houston Rockets +5 Points (-110) at FanDuel
The Houston Rockets will need to lose by less than the amount of the spread or win outright in order to cover.
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