The Houston Rockets travel to the Wells Fargo Center to meet the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday afternoon. This matchup is the first game of a full slate in the NBA on MLK Day. Houston is 19-19 overall, Philadelphia is 24-13 overall and 14-6 at home. Joel Embiid (knee) is available for Philadelphia after being listed as questionable earlier in the day, D’Anthony Melton (back) and Robert Covington (knee) have been ruled out and Mo Bamba (knee) has been listed as questionable. Listed as. Terry Eason (lower leg) is out for Houston.
The SportsLine consensus lists Philadelphia as an 8.5-point favorite for this 1 p.m. ET tipoff. The latest Rockets vs. 76ers odds have the total number of points, or over/under, at 228, according to Vegas. Before making any 76ers vs. Rockets picks, you need to check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has made a profit of more than $10,000 for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five seasons. The model entered Week 13 of the 2023-24 NBA season with a stellar 42-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season and returned nearly $2,000. Anyone who has followed this has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has turned its attention to Sixers vs. Rockets with its picks and NBA predictions. You can head over to SportsLine now to see the model picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for the Rockets vs. Sixers:
- 76ers vs. Rockets Spread: 76ers -8.5
- 76ers vs. Rockets Over/Under: 228 points
- 76ers vs. Rockets Money Line: 76ers -346, Rockets +274
- HOU: Rockets are 6-10-1 against the spread in road games
- PHI: 76ers are 14-6 against the spread in home games
- 76ers vs. Rockets picks: Watch picks on SportsLine
Why can rockets cover
The Rockets have a tremendous offensive base in Alperen Sengun. The young center is averaging 21.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, and Seungun is shooting 54.1% from the field. Over the past 13 games, Sengun has increased his production, averaging 25.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per contest. While Sengun anchors an offense that also ranks in the NBA’s top 10 in turnover prevention, Houston’s defense is top notch.
The Rockets are allowing just 112.1 points per 100 possessions this season, ranking in the top quartile of the league. Houston leads the NBA in fast break points (10.0% per game), and the Rockets are in the top five in opponent field goal percentage (45.6%) and opponent 3-point percentage (34.0%). The Rockets also rank in the top five in assists allowed (24.3 per game) and points allowed in the paint (46.2 per game), with Houston grabbing 72.7% of the defensive rebounds available in 2023-24. Here’s a look at which team to pick.
Why the 76ers can cover
Philadelphia has high-end scorers in Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris. Maxi has scored 20 points or more in eight straight games, and he is averaging 26.1 points and 6.6 assists per game. Harris scored 37 points on 14-25 shooting in Philadelphia’s most recent game, and he is averaging 23.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in January. The Sixers also have meaningful home-court advantage, with Philadelphia entering this game at Wells Fargo Center at 14-6 overall with a +10.2 net rating. Houston is just 4-13 away from home with a -6.9 net rating, heading to Philadelphia.
The 76ers are on top across the board in terms of offense, including the top six marks in the NBA in offensive efficiency, scoring 119.1 points per 100 possessions. Philadelphia ranks near the top of the league in turnover avoidance, fast-break points, points in the paint, offensive rebound rate and second-chance points, but the free throw line is the top focal point for the 76ers. Nick Nurse’s team leads the NBA in free throw accuracy (84%) and free throw creation (26.9 attempts per game) this season. Here’s a look at which team to pick.
How to Make Rockets vs. 76ers Picks
SportsLine’s model is projecting a total of 222 combined points. The model also says that one side of the spread is affected in about 70% of the simulations. You can see the choice of models only on Sportsline.
So who wins Sixers vs. Rockets, and which side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, from the model on a 42-23 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
