Heat vs Rockets Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Thursday, December 15th

Check out our free Heat vs Rockets pick and preview for this NBA game in Houston. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Heat vs Rockets NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Miami Heat at Houston Rockets
Where: Houston at Toyota Center
Date: Thursday, December 15th
Betting Odds HOU +4, MIA -172 | HOU +145 O/U 222.0

So far, the Heat have put together an overall record of 14-15, while going 9-19-1 vs the spread. Across the Heat 2 game win streak, they have an average scoring margin of 3.5 points per game.

Miami is going for another win in today’s game, as they previously took down the Thunder. Going into the game, they were 2 point favorites against the spread. Their 110-108 victory was not enough to cover. Miami will look to do a better job putting teams away down the stretch, as they let the Thunder get back into the game after leading by 12 points at halftime. In the win, Tyler Herro led the team in scoring with 35 points on a field goal percentage of 52.2%.

The Rockets come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 9-18. So far, the team has gone 13-12-2 against the spread. Houston comes into the game having rattled off 2 straight wins. In these victories, the team has an average scoring margin of 9.5 points per game

Houston is going for yet another win, as they previously defeated the Suns at home. With the 111-97 victory, they also covered the spread as 6 point underdogs. Houston played well enough in the second half to prevent the Suns from making things interesting down the stretch, as they led by 19 going into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Jalen Green, as he contributed 26 points while hitting 41.2% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

This season, the Heat will look to continue their strong play over Houston, as they won both of last year’s matchups. Miami won game 1 of the series by a score of 123-120, and wrapped up the head-to-head meetings with a 120-110 victory. In last year’s head-to-head meetings, the Heat averaged 121.5 points per game vs Houston, which was an increase over their season-long average. While the Heat saw a boost in scoring, the Rockets averaged 108.0 points per contest in head-to-head meeting vs Miami. This figure was similar to season-long average. Across the previous 5 meetings between the teams, the Heat have an average scoring margin of +10 points per game, leading to an ATS mark of 4-1. A combined average of 216 points per game was achieved in these matchups, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

The Heat come into today’s game as the 29th ranked scoring offense at 107.9 points per game. The Heat come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 12.3 made 3’s per game. If the Miami offense is going to improve, they would benefit from attacking the basket and generating looks at the line. So far, they are ranked just 15th in made free-throws per game.

On the defensive end of the floor, the Heat are giving up an average of 105.57 points per game, good for 4th in the NBA.

One situation to keep an eye on leading up the game is the availability of Bam Adebayo, as he is currently questionable on the injury report. If he is able to play, the team will have it’s 1-2 punch availble as Adebayo leads the team in scoring at 20.6 points per game while Herro is 2nd at 20.2. For the season, Adebayo is 61st in the NBA in usage rate and 78th in player efficiency. Behind him, Herro has taken 18.9% of the team’s field goal attempts, connecting at a rate of 45.0%.

For the season, the Rockets offensive unit is ranked just 25th in scoring at 110.3 points per contest. So far, the Rockets are averaging 99.4 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Not only is the team one of the more deliberate units in the NBA, they have yet to find their shooting stroke, ranking just 30th in the league in field goal percentage 44.3%.

On defense, the Rockets will look for some improved play, as they are currently the 30th ranked unit in points allowed per game.

Shooting Guard Jalen Green currently leads the Rockets at 21.8 points per game. For the season, he is 39th in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 20.1% of the team’s field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Green is averaging 4.1 boards and 3.9 assists per contest. In today’s game, he is facing off against the NBA’s 27th ranked defense at defending shooting guards. Kevin Porter Jr. enters the game sitting second on the team in scoring. Through 26 games, he is averaging 18.7 and is 193rd in the league in player efficiency rating.