Houston Rockets Hold Fourth-Best Odds to Win West Group A in NBA Cup

Vegas doesn't fancy the Houston Rockets' chances at winning their NBA Cup group.

Mar 10, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) and forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) stand on the court during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets don't have the toughest group in the NBA Cup, as that might just belong to the West Group C. However, this doesn't mean the Rockets hold good odds to win their group and advance to the knockout rounds.

Houston is in West Group A for the in-season tournament, which they are joined by the Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers in the group.

ESPN Bet has released odds for every group in the Emirates NBA Cup for the 2024-25 NBA season. For West Group A, the Rockets don't even rank in the top three favorites to win the group. With +495 odds to win the group, Houston has the fourth-best odds to win the group out of five teams.

The Timberwolves (+135) have the best odds to win the group, with the Kings (+225) following them closely. Minnesota made an appearance in the Western Conference Finals, which validates them leading the group's odds.

The Kings having better odds than the Clippers (+475), though, is solely based on the idea that their leap with DeMar DeRozan on the roster propels them over LA, who lost Paul George this offseason.

Now, the Clippers are barely ahead of the Rockets in the odds, and for good reason, too. Houston could see a leap next season. They've got a pair of veterans in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, surrounded by a young core headlined by Jalen Green, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun.

Assuming Houston's young core takes a leap next season, they might just surpass the regression the Clippers will face after losing star power. Having both Kawhi Leonard and James Harden on the roster -- though both being veteran stars falling out of their primes -- helps LA in this case.

There is an argument the Rockets could and should have the third-best odds to win the group, but that doesn't really matter as a second-place finish and a strong point differential is the minimum for the Rockets if they want to find a way into the knockout stage of the tournament.

The Trail Blazers (+4000) aren't in consideration for the group as they're in the thick of a rebuild.

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