The Boston Celtics have won seven games in a row and nine of their last ten, but they still haven’t gained any ground on the Milwaukee Bucks (who have also won nine of ten) or the Toronto Raptors (who have won 15 in a row). Even so, they are playing at a superior level right now as they head to Houston to take on the Rockets on Tuesday night. Houston has dropped two straight to fall to 33-20, in fifth place in the West. They are two games behind Utah, who is in fourth, and 7 ½ games behind the conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers. Houston could use a boost by beating one of the East’s elite at home, while the Celtics are just looking to stay even with the Bucks and Raptors. Let’s see how the NBA betting odds will be for the Celtics vs Rockets.
Celtics vs Rockets 2020 NBA Betting Lines & Game Preview
- When: Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 9:30 pm ET
- Where: Toyota Center, Houston
- TV: TNT
- Radio: WBZ 98.5 FM Boston / KBME 790 AM Houston
- Live Stream: fuboTV
- NBA Odds: Houston Rockets -2 / Total: 232
Why should you bet on Boston?
Boston’s seven-game winning streak includes a 112-111 squeaker over the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Sunday. In that game, Marcus Smart swiped the ball from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander before the Thunder point guard could get off a shot, preserving that one-shot lead. Boston got 27 points from Kemba Walker and 26 from Jayson Tatum.
Jaylen Brown added 17 points for Boston, who made hay from the three-point line, knocking down 16 shots from distance. The Celtics went into the locker room at halftime down nine points, but Tatum’s hot shooting in the third period helped Boston rally. Defense played a major role throughout the game, as Boston got 21 points off ten Oklahoma City turnovers. If Boston can combine shooting and defense on Tuesday, they will be able to give the Rockets some problems.
Why should you put your money on Houston?
The Houston Rockets hung a 121-111 loss on the Lakers three games ago, but then they went to Phoenix and got routed by 36 points by the Suns. They followed that up by coming home and losing by a point to the Utah Jazz, who have moved past the Rockets in the Western Conference standings. In that loss, Houston had the lead late until Bojan Bogdanovic knocked down a game-winning three-pointer as time expired.
Bogdanovic only had eight points on the night and went just 2 for 7 from the floor, but that second make was immense. Russell Westbrook led Houston with 39 points, and James Harden had yet another triple-double, putting up 28 points, ten assists and ten boards. However, Harden went just 2 for 13 from downtown. Robert Covington, who came to Houston just before the trade deadline, added 14 points, while Danuel House Jr. put up ten points. Eric Gordon (left leg contusion) remains day-to-day, so you will want to check his injury status before locking your wagers. If you like Houston in this game, you think Harden’s shooting will be better and that the Rockets will be able to operate freely against a quick Boston defense.
Celtics vs Rockets Final Score Prediction
I like the way in which Boston has been able to emerge from some mid-season struggles to put together the sort of streak that will keep them at or near the top of the East standings. Houston is still looking for that same sort of consistency as we near the All-Star break. I think Houston will get their points, but I see Boston getting key stops and pulling away late. My final score prediction is Boston 111, Houston 106. The Rockets can win games like this, but they are not firing on all cylinders across their offense yet, and I do not trust them to get late stops when they need them to win games.
