Toronto at Houston
Time: 7 PM (CT), ESPN
Spread: HOU -3
Total: 229
Odds c/o 5dimes
HOU TEAM NOTES:
Though the Rockets have struggled this season, the team has won six of its last 10 overall and still is situated No. 6 in the Western Conference. The team lost Trevor Ariza over the offseason, hoping that replacing him with Carmelo Anthony would solve its problems. It did none of that, and the team has taken many steps back defensively, which ultimately is the reason it has failed to succeed at the rate it did a year ago. Houston is surrendering 110 points per game and scoring 112 itself, which yields just a 2.0 positive, point differential. The Rockets must tighten up its defense significantly to rejoin the realm of Western Conference contenders, which many are feeling can still happen.
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But it cannot be all Clint Capela’s work, despite the outstanding season the center is putting together. Capela recently suffered an injury and is out for four to six weeks. That leaves the Houston Rockets with a massive hole at the 5-spot, given its lack of sizeable backups. Nevermind the fact that Clint Capela alone was having a career breakout season.
Capela had been making a strong bid to be an All-Star and it is easy to see why Houston felt comfortable releasing Dwight Howard to clear the way for Capela. Truth be told, he has a little of young Dwight, in him and his game. Capela averages 17.6 points, 12.9 rebounds and 1.88 blocks per game while posting the second-best PER on the Rockets. He has proven to be the anchor of a defense that greatly needs perimeter improvement, and it is hardly all the fault of Harden as the narrative often goes.
Harden is playing passing lanes well, coming up with 2-plus steals a game, while heading the offensive attack in his usual masterful way. Harden’s averaging 33.9 points and 8.6 assists per game.
Chris Paul has fallen off in a noticeable way, but he has also played through some injuries and is declining as expected as he ages. With Paul currently on the shelf, James Harden has gone atomic with his offensive production. But, the Rockets really need a power forward of the defensive mindset, and losing Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is as much to blame for the team’s defensive decline as losing Ariza. Few are factoring in the value of strong defensive role players and the Rockets roster is nearly bereft of such talents now.
TOR TEAM NOTES:
The Toronto Raptors are 36-14 and atop the Eastern Conference, tied with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Raptors have won eight of its last 10 games, but its +5.6 point differential lingers far behind Milwaukee’s +10. Toronto most recently fell 106-110 to the Indiana Pacers.
Despite falling to Indy, the Raptors got a good all-around performance from its starting five. All starters hit double-figure scoring, paced by power forward Serge Ibaka’s 23 points on 11 of 19 shooting. The Raptors utilized a three-guard lineup with Kawhi Leonard taking the night off to rest. It started Kyle Lowry alongside Fred VanVleet and Danny Green. While the Raptors shot just 41.3 percent from the field and lost the game, it was an encouraging performance to see the team thrive without its best player in Leonard.
Kawhi has averaged 31 points per game over his last five games, and on the season he is good for 27.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. He has been the key to Toronto thriving to the degree it has, and with LeBron James taking his talents Westward, the Raptors may finally be able to get over the proverbial hump in the 2019 playoffs.
