The Phoenix Suns will face off against the Houston Rockets in a Western Conference matchup on Thursday evening. Phoenix is 34-24 overall and 19-11 at home, while Houston is 25-33 overall and 5-23 on the road. The two teams split their first two matchups of the season, both played in Houston.
Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on Thursday from the Footprint Center in Phoenix. The Suns are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Rockets vs. Suns odds according to the SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 234.5 points. Before entering any Suns vs. Rockets picks, you need to see 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 returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 19 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 63-39 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,200. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Houston vs. Phoenix. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Rockets vs. Suns:
- Suns vs. Rockets spread: Suns -8.5
- Suns vs. Rockets over/under: 234.5 points
- Suns vs. Rockets money line: Suns: -373, Rockets: +294
- HOU: The Rockets are 18-14-2 ATS against the Western Conference this season
- PHO: The Suns are 6-3 ATS over their last nine games
- Suns vs. Rockets picks: See picks here
What to know about the Rockets
The Rockets prepare to play the first of two straight at Phoenix after losing back-to-back contests with the Thunder. Houston fell to Oklahoma City, 112-95, on Tuesday in the second of the two matchups. The Rockets are 2-8 over their last 10 games, but they did recently knock off the Suns, 114-110, at home on Friday. Fred VanVleet had 23 points and five assists with Jabari Smith Jr. adding 22 points and 16 rebounds as Houston had six players score at least 14 points.
The Rockets are holding opponents to the fifth-worst shooting percentage (46.1%), including having the third-best 3-point defense in the league with opponents converting at 34.9% from beyond the arc. Even through their losing stretch, the Rockets have held opponents to 112 points or fewer in five of 10 contests. Offensively, they rank 25th in shooting percentage and 21st in points per game, so they'll need a stronger offensive performance to knock off the Suns on Thursday. See which team to pick here.
What to know about the Suns
The Suns are coming off a 123-113 win over the Lakers on Sunday, snapping a two-game losing streak. Phoenix should be well rested with three full days off after playing three contests over four days. The Suns had one of their most balanced scoring efforts of the season against the Lakers with five players finishing with at least 18 points. Grayson Allen led the team in scoring for the fifth time this season with 24 points on 8 of 17 shooting, including 6 of 12 on 3-pointers. Jusuf Nurkic was a monster on the glass with 22 rebounds to go along with his 18 points.
Defensively, the Suns are holding opponents to 46.6% shooting, the eighth-best mark in the league. Bradley Beal (hamstring) is questionable and has missed all three games since returning from the All-Star break. Kevin Durant leads with 28 points per game, closely followed by Devin Booker at 27.5. See which team to pick here.
How to make Suns vs. Rockets picks
The model has simulated Rockets vs. Suns 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Suns vs. Rockets, and which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rockets vs. Suns spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the model on a 63-39 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
