Houston Rightly Favored to Win over Phoenix, but the Suns Could Cover NBA Spread

Can James Harden really be stopped? Looking at his recent games, it seems like, irrespective of the opponent, Harden always has a rabbit to pull out of his hat. On Thursday night, the #13 shooting guard posted a career-high 50 points plus 10 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to a vital win over the Denver Nuggets and cover the night’s NBA spread. Don’t, however, expect the surging Phoenix Suns to take it easy on Harden when they faceoff the Rockets at the Toyota Center this Saturday. Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas Date: Saturday, March 21, 2015 Time: 8:00 PM ET TV: FSAZ/ ROOT Opening Line: Houston -7

Rockets vs. Suns NBA Spread Preview and Game Analysis

Though the Suns (36-33, 3rd in Pacific Division, 10th in the Western Conference) have split the wins and losses in their last 10 games, they come into Saturday’s game with a two-game winning streak momentum, including their nervy 74-72 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday. In that win, the Suns impressively shared the ball, but one man, Markieff Morris, easily stood above the rest, as he posted a triple team-high of 17 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. Morris, who is the second-best scorer in Phoenix with 15.3 PPG and 5.8 RPG, will need to have another big and clean game, together with Eric Bledsoe (team-leading 17.0 PPG and 6 APG), leading the Suns to a solid offensive showing against Houston’s talented frontcourt, which is allowing 100 points per game on 44 percent shooting. For the Rockets (46-22, 2nd in Southwest Division), the game will be about staying hot after they’ve won 5 of their last 7 games, including the last three games in a row. Harden (owning team-bests of 27.1 PPG, 7.0 APG and 1.9 SPG) and Trevor Ariza (12.5 PPG and 5.4 RPG) have been the Houston’s hottest offensive talents, with Terrence Jones, Josh Smith and Patrick Beverly also featuring often and decently on the scoresheet. Unfortunately for the team, Jones is expected to be out of the team for an extended period with a collapsed lung. Still, having won 8 of their last 9 games on their home court, Houston should be able to use its deep bench to make up for their injured starters, including their still-recuperating star Dwight Howard.

Key Betting Trends

• Phoenix is 2-2 SU and 3-1 ATS in its last 4 road games • Houston is 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in its last 5 home games • Houston is 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in the 2014-2015 season series against Phoenix • Houston is 7-3 SU and 4-6 ATS in its last 10 games against Phoenix • The total has gone OVER in 4 of the last five games between Phoenix and Houston • The OVER/UNDER is 6-4 in the last 10 games between Phoenix and Houston

Writer’s Prediction

Phoenix and Houston trade blows throughout the game, but in the end, the Rockets come out on top with a narrow win. The Suns, however, keep the scores to cover the spread, with both teams probably scoring more than 100 points each to take the total OVER.