- Game time: Toyota Center in Houston, Texas at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, February 11th, 2019 and televised on NBA TV.
- Game odds: Rockets -10 | Over/Under 221 | Moneyline -640/+471
It took a little while, but the Houston Rockets are finally rounding into form as a legitimate championship contender. The Rockets are pushing up the Western Conference standings and should stay hot next time out when they face off against the Dallas Mavericks.
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Not only is Houston the superior team but it is also playing at home, which will make it the heavy favorite to take care of business. Dallas is excited about the future because it traded for Kristaps Porzingis, but the star forward isn’t going to play this season as he recovers from a torn ACL. The Mavericks gave up talented point guard Dennis Smith and big man DeAndre Jordan in the deal, so they will be worse in the near term. This looks like a mismatch as the Rockets should win.
Rockets vs Mavericks OddsÂ
The Mavericks have a record of 25-29 on the season. They were hanging around in the playoff race for a while this season but are now closer to the bottom of the Western Conference. Dallas has struggled on the road this year with a mark of just 6-21, so it will be a large uphill climb to get an upset win.
The Rockets are 32-23, which is good for the No. 5 seed in the West currently, but within shouting distance of both the Trail Blazers and Thunder ahead of them. Houston has won three of its past four games and is 19-8 at home this year.
Mavs’ Doncic Player To Watch
The Mavericks small forward, Luka Doncic looks like the front-runner to become the league’s Rookie of the Year. He is affecting the game in myriad ways, averaging 20.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per contest. Doncic is shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from three-point range.
His scoring has picked up as Doncic has gotten more used to the NBA game. He scored 35 points in a recent win over the Cavaliers. The Rockets have better talent across the board so Doncic will need to have a big game to give his team a shot at the upset.
Harden Having Great Season
James Harden had 42 points in Houston’s 117-112 loss last time out against Oklahoma City Thunder. It continued an incredible season for Harden, who is averaging a league-high 36.5 points per game.
No player has averaged that much per game since Michael Jordan in the late 1980s. There is some talent around him, especially as point guard Chris Paul rounds back into form, but Harden’s dominance is the reason why the Rockets have found their groove at this point in the year.
Mavericks vs Rockets Picks
Our pick:Â Mavericks +10
Reason: The Mavericks actually have a slight positive point-differential on the season, so they are better than their record suggests. However, the talent disparity in this one is large and Dallas has been awful on the road this season. The Rockets should cruise to the win as they continue their push to nab a top seed heading into the postseason.
Keep an eye on the spread because it could be substantial. The Mavericks may be able to lose by several points and still come away with the cover.
Check out the latest NBA betting odds for today.
