Memphis Grizzlies vs. Houston Rockets: 3 Best Bets

For the second time this season, the Houston Rockets host the Memphis Grizzlies and will be trying to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.

For the second time this season, the Houston Rockets will host the Memphis Grizzlies at the Toyota Center. Houston easily won their last matchup, and are expected to take home another win, as Memphis currently stands at 6-16. Houston has the advantage of being 10-1 at home, while Memphis has struggled to salvage their season.

Despite poor shooting, Houston was easily able to beat the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. The Grizzlies have been dispatched in their last two games and look like a shell of the 50-win team they were last season.

Houston’s injury report looks all too familiar. Amen Thompson and Tari Eason are questionable, Victor Oladipo remains out. Memphis has a loaded injury sheet, with Ja Morant, Luke Kennard, Steven Adams, Marcus Smart, and Brandon Clarke all unavailable for various reasons.

Dillon Brooks has to take some pleasure in beating up the team that told him not to come back last season. Even though he has already beaten them once, rubbing it in just a little bit more has to feel good. With a big performance from Brooks inbound, we have our three best bets, powered by SI Sportsbook.

Rockets forward Dillon Brooks looks to pass to a teammate against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first quarter during the first quarter at Toyota Center / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

The Lines

Point spread: Grizzlies +6.5 (-110)/Rockets -6.5 (-118)

Moneyline: Grizzlies (+215)/Rockets (-300)

Over/under: 211.5

Our Picks

Safe pick: Dillon Brooks OVER 11.5 points (-137)

This is something of a revenge game for Brooks. Earlier in the season, he posted 13 points on the Grizzlies but wanted more, missing all five of his three-point attempts. Since that game, he is shooting 31 percent from deep, down from 45 percent before that game. Not a good trend, but his scoring output has remained relatively the same. If he continues to be aggressive, there’s no reason that he shouldn’t start to return to form tonight.

Opponent pick: Desmond Bane OVER 25.5 points (-133)

In their last matchup, Bane scored 23 points on poor shooting. Bane is only averaging 24.8 points on the year but has been hot, shooting 51 percent from deep over his last five games to average 30.0 points. While Houston has a top-tier defense, containing Bane could still be a challenge.

NBA Power Rankings: Where Are Rockets?

Team pick: Rockets -6.5 (-118)

Houston is not a team to take their foot off the gas. Winning at home is almost a given at this point in the season, and covering the spread is just a matter of how well Houston shoots. If they shoot as badly as they did on Monday, then they probably won’t cover. They might not even win. But if everything returns to average, this Memphis team is just so depleted that there’s no reason Houston shouldn’t blow them out.