Who's Playing

Miami @ Houston

Current Records: Miami 22-13; Houston 10-25

What to Know

The Miami Heat have enjoyed the comforts of home their last four games, but now they must head out on the road. After a few days' rest for both teams, they and the Houston Rockets will meet up at 7 p.m. ET Dec. 31 at Toyota Center. Miami will be strutting in after a win while Houston will be stumbling in from a loss.

The Heat beat the Washington Wizards 119-112 on Tuesday. Point guard Tyler Herro (32 points) was the top scorer for Miami. Herro hadn't helped his team much against the Orlando Magic on Sunday, so this was a nice turnaround for him. Tyler Herro's points were the most he has had all season.

Meanwhile, Houston came up short against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, falling 132-123. Despite their defeat, Houston got to see several of their players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. power forward Christian Wood, who had 22 points along with six rebounds, was the best among equals.

The Heat are the favorite in this one, with an expected 4.5-point margin of victory. They have failed bettors playing the spread in their past three games, so buyers beware.

Miami is now 22-13 while the Rockets sit at 10-25. A pair of defensive stats to keep an eye on: Miami ranks third in the league when it comes to points allowed per game, with only 103.4 on average. On the other end of the spectrum, Houston is stumbling into the matchup with the second most points allowed per game in the league, having given up 114.8 on average. So the cards are definitely stacked against Houston.

How To Watch

  • When: Friday at 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: Toyota Center -- Houston, Texas
  • TV: ATTSN Southwest
  • Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Ticket Cost: $24.25

Odds

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

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 4.5-point spread, and stayed right there.

Over/Under: -110

See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Miami have won seven out of their last 12 games against Houston.

  • Apr 19, 2021 - Miami 113 vs. Houston 91
  • Feb 11, 2021 - Miami 101 vs. Houston 94
  • Nov 27, 2019 - Houston 117 vs. Miami 108
  • Nov 03, 2019 - Miami 129 vs. Houston 100
  • Feb 28, 2019 - Houston 121 vs. Miami 118
  • Dec 20, 2018 - Miami 101 vs. Houston 99
  • Feb 07, 2018 - Houston 109 vs. Miami 101
  • Jan 22, 2018 - Houston 99 vs. Miami 90
  • Feb 15, 2017 - Miami 117 vs. Houston 109
  • Jan 17, 2017 - Miami 109 vs. Houston 103
  • Feb 02, 2016 - Houston 115 vs. Miami 102
  • Nov 01, 2015 - Miami 109 vs. Houston 89