Through 1 Quarter

The Portland Trail Blazers were expected to take an 'L' in this one, but so far it isn't playing out to script. They are in control with a 32-17 lead over the Houston Rockets.

Point guard Damian Lillard has taken over for the Trail Blazers, currently boasting 13 points (41% of their total) and three assists in addition to two boards. Houston has been led by center DeMarcus Cousins, who so far has six points and two assists along with four rebounds.

Who's Playing

Portland @ Houston

Current Records: Portland 9-7; Houston 7-9

What to Know

The Houston Rockets have been on the wrong side of a one-way rivalry with the Portland Trail Blazers and are hoping to record their first win since Nov. 18 of 2019. Houston will play host again and welcome Portland to Toyota Center, where tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday. If the contest is anything like the Trail Blazers' 128-126 victory from their previous meeting in December, the scorekeeper will be kept real busy.

While not quite a landslide, the matchup between Houston and the Washington Wizards on Tuesday was still a pretty decisive one as Houston wrapped it up with a 107-88 victory at home. Houston can attribute much of their success to center DeMarcus Cousins, who posted a double-double on 19 points and 11 boards in addition to five steals. That makes it three consecutive games in which Boogie has had at least 11 rebounds.

Meanwhile, it was a hard-fought game, but Portland had to settle for a 125-122 defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. Despite their loss, the Trail Blazers got to see several of their players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. center Enes Kanter, who dropped a double-double on 22 rebounds and 13 points, was the best among equals.

The Rockets are the favorite in this one, with an expected 4.5-point margin of victory. They are currently three-for-three against the spread in their most recent games, a trend bettors might want to take into account.

Houston's win lifted them to 7-9 while Portland's loss dropped them down to 9-7. Allowing an average of 116.25 points per game, Portland hasn't exactly asserted themselves on the defensive end. We'll see if they can patch up the holes in their defense before their upcoming game.

How To Watch

  • When: Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: Toyota Center -- Houston, Texas
  • TV: TNT
  • Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds

The Rockets are a 4.5-point favorite against the Trail Blazers, according to the latest NBA odds.

The line has drifted a bit towards the Rockets, as the game opened with the Rockets as a 2.5-point favorite.

Over/Under: -110

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Series History

Houston have won ten out of their last 19 games against Portland.

  • Dec 26, 2020 - Portland 128 vs. Houston 126
  • Aug 04, 2020 - Portland 110 vs. Houston 102
  • Jan 29, 2020 - Portland 125 vs. Houston 112
  • Jan 15, 2020 - Portland 117 vs. Houston 107
  • Nov 18, 2019 - Houston 132 vs. Portland 108
  • Jan 05, 2019 - Portland 110 vs. Houston 101
  • Dec 11, 2018 - Houston 111 vs. Portland 103
  • Oct 30, 2018 - Portland 104 vs. Houston 85
  • Apr 05, 2018 - Houston 96 vs. Portland 94
  • Mar 20, 2018 - Houston 115 vs. Portland 111
  • Jan 10, 2018 - Houston 121 vs. Portland 112
  • Dec 09, 2017 - Houston 124 vs. Portland 117
  • Mar 30, 2017 - Portland 117 vs. Houston 107
  • Nov 27, 2016 - Houston 130 vs. Portland 114
  • Nov 17, 2016 - Houston 126 vs. Portland 109
  • Feb 25, 2016 - Houston 119 vs. Portland 105
  • Feb 10, 2016 - Portland 116 vs. Houston 103
  • Feb 06, 2016 - Portland 96 vs. Houston 79
  • Nov 18, 2015 - Houston 108 vs. Portland 103