The Houston Rockets (24-12) travel to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies (24-13) on Thursday, January 9th. This game will be played at FedExForum in Memphis and televised on SCHN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Rockets vs Grizzlies

The Rockets Are Coming Off A Win

The Rockets improved to 24-12 this season with a 135-112 win over the Wizards on Tuesday. Houston, who entered the game as -13.5 point favorites, covered the spread with a +23 point margin. The total score of 247 points exceeded the O/U line of 222.5 by 24.5 points.

After trailing 30-20 at the end of the 1st quarter, Houston turned the game around with a 10-0 run, pushing the score from 31-22 to 41-22. They dominated the 2nd and 3rd quarters, outscoring Washington 37-25 and 40-24, respectively, and entered the 4th quarter with a 97-79 lead, closing out the game by outscoring the Wizards 38-33 in the final period.

The Grizzlies Are Coming Off A Win

With a 119-104 win over the Mavericks on Monday, the Grizzlies improved to 24-13 on the season. Memphis, favored by 4.5 points, covered the spread at home. The game’s total score of 223 points fell short of the 232.5-point over/under line.

After falling behind 36-26 in the 1st quarter, Memphis turned the game around with a 12-0 run, taking the lead from 48-40 to 52-48. They outscored Dallas 30-19 in the 2nd quarter and continued to pull away by winning the 3rd and 4th quarters 31-25 and 32-24, respectively.

Rockets Offense Breakdown

The Rockets shot 51.5% from the field and hit 15 threes at a 39.5% clip in their win over the Wizards, with Jalen Green leading the way with 29 points and 7 made threes. Green scored 22 of his points in the 3rd quarter, while Alperen Sengun added 14 of his 26 points in the same period.

Amen Thompson contributed 20 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 87.5% from the field, and Cam Whitmore scored 13 of his 17 points in the 4th quarter. Fred VanVleet also added 19 points, with 8 coming in the final period.

Grizzlies Offense Breakdown

Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies to a 119-104 win over the Mavericks, posting 35 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 56.5% from the field. Scotty Pippen Jr. added 18 points, 11 of which came in the 4th quarter, and Jaylen Wells contributed 17 points despite shooting just 27.3%.

Memphis hit 12 threes at a 34.3% clip, with an overall field goal percentage of 45.5%. Jackson scored 13 points in the 3rd quarter, while Pippen’s 11 points in the final frame helped seal the victory.

Rockets Team Defense

Defensively, the Rockets were at their best in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, holding the Wizards to 25 and 24 points, respectively. Overall, they allowed 112 points on 46% shooting from the field.

Houston struggled to defend the three, giving up 15 made threes on 37% shooting. They also sent the Wizards to the line 20 times, where they hit 15 free throws. The Rockets recorded 15 steals and 2 blocks.

Grizzlies Team Defense

Defensively, the Rockets were solid in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, giving up just 25 and 24 points, respectively, in their 135-112 win over the Wizards. Overall, they allowed Washington to shoot 46% from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Rockets gave up 15 threes on 37% shooting. They also sent the Wizards to the line 20 times, where they made 15 free throws. Houston finished with 15 steals and 2 blocks.

Rockets vs Grizzlies Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, Houston has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 117 per game. The team went 4-1 overall in these games.
• Through their last ten home contests, the Grizzlies offense has averaged 122 points per game while allowing an average of 120. Memphis posted an overall record of 5-5 while going 5-5 ATS.
• Going back to their last three games as the underdog, the Grizzlies have a straight up record of 1-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-2.
• Houston has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three games.

Rockets vs Grizzlies Prediction

Coming in as the underdogs at +2, we have the Grizzlies as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 233.5 and given that our model is projecting 271 points between the teams, we like the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.