Cavs vs. Rockets Betting Line January 15
Carrie Stroup here with your Cavs vs. Rockets betting line for Friday January 15. Cleveland -1, Total: 204.5
The Rockets will be looking to win their sixth straight game against a tired Cavaliers team on Friday.
The Cavaliers faced the Spurs in San Antonio on Thursday night and lost 99-95 as a six-point underdog. It was Cleveland’s first loss in the past nine games, but it was also the team’s first ATS victory in the past three.
The Rockets, meanwhile, are playing extremely well at the moment. Houston defeated Minnesota 107-104 as a 7.5-point favorite on Wednesday. The Rockets have now won five straight games and three of their past five ATS. Their offense has really clicked recently, scoring 107 points in three straight games.
One interesting thing worth noting in this series is that the Cavaliers have not beaten the Rockets since Mar. 11, 2012. Houston is 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS versus Cleveland since then and the Rockets have won-and-covered in eight straight games versus the Cavaliers at the Toyota Center. The last time Cleveland covered in Houston was Feb. 24, 2004.
One thing favoring the Cavaliers in this game is the fact that the Rockets are 3-15 ATS when the total is 200 to 209.5 this season. The Rockets are, however, 22-9 ATS in home games after four or more consecutive Overs since 1996.
SF LeBron James (Rest) could be held out of this game after a battle with the Spurs on Thursday and PG Mo Williams (Personal) is doubtful for Cleveland. For Houston, PG Patrick Beverley (Personal) is questionable and PF Donatas Motiejunas (Back) is out indefinitely.
The Cavaliers are coming off of a tough loss in San Antonio, as the team really wanted to prove itself in a matchup with one of the Western Conference’s best. SF LeBron James (25.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.5 SPG) had trouble getting good looks at the basket against Kawhi Leonard, finishing with just 22 points in 37 minutes of action. Cleveland is considering resting him in this one, but if he does play then he will need to be aggressive as a scorer.
The guy that really played well for Cleveland was PF Tristan Thompson (7.6 PPG, 9.7 RPG). Thompson played 35 minutes in the game and went 7-for-11 from the field with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Thompson will likely see the floor a lot in Friday’s game, as he is probably the Cavaliers’ best option for defending Dwight Howard. He gives up a lot of height to the Rockets’ center, but he has the strength and heart to battle him inside.
PG Kyrie Irving (16.5 PPG, 4.1 APG) will also be crucial in this game. If James does not play then Irving will be the number one option offensively. He is averaging 19.0 PPG over the past two contests and will likely need to play better than that on Friday.
The Rockets are on fire recently and SG James Harden (28.0 PPG, 6.8 APG, 6.0 RPG, 1.6 SPG) has been playing very well for the team. Harden had 27 points and 11 assists against the Timberwolves on Wednesday and is doing a great job of finding his teammates for open shots. He’ll need to continue to play unselfish basketball moving forward for Houston.
One thing that is making life on Harden easier has been the play of C Dwight Howard (14.2 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 1.6 BPG). Over the past four games, Howard is averaging 17.3 PPG, 13.5 RPG and 1.3 BPG in 39.5 MPG. He has had a double-double in seven straight games and the Rockets are making more of an effort to get him the ball in the post. Howard should really be able to dominate the Cavaliers, as Cleveland has been going small often this season.
Another guy that will be important for Houston in this game is SF Trevor Ariza (11.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.8 SPG). Ariza is averaging 12.6 PPG over the past five contests and he is hitting 43.3% of his shots from the outside in those games. The Rockets need Ariza to play solid defense and also knock down his perimeter shots on a nightly basis. When he does both of those things the Rockets are at their best.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
