Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic: 3 Best Bets
The Houston Rockets are now mathematically eliminated from the NBA Playoffs, and with their 2024 first-round draft pick owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder, this last stretch of games will be pretty meaningless. Alperen Sengun is unlikely to return after the idea was floated as long as Houston had something to play for, but now the season is effectively over.
If the Draft Lottery gods are feeling particularly forgiving, Houston's pick could fall in the top four, where it is protected, but that is very unlikely. For now, Houston can just hold on as the Orlando Magic come to town to try and take the second seed in the Eastern Conference from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Sengun, Tari Eason, and Steven Adams are all out for Houston. Jonathan Isaac and Franz Wagner are questionable for the Magic.
Keep it posted here for our three best bets, powered by the odds at SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point spread: Magic -2.5 (-118)/Rockets +2.5 (-110)
Money line: Magic (-154)/Rockets (+125)
Over/under: 215.5 points
Our Picks
Safe pick: Jalen Green UNDER 22.5 points (-111)
Jalen Green has come back to Earth, averaging 18.6 points over his last five games. The 22.5 percent shooting from deep is uninspiring, and the defense by Jalen Suggs tonight will make things even harder for him. With Houston not playing for much and Orlando playing for everything, expect Green to be outmatched.
Opponent pick: Paolo Banchero UNDER 23.5 points (-133)
Banchero has averaged 23.2 points over his last five games and is one of the most consistent scorers in the league. However, the defense from Dillon Brooks tonight will prove to be challenging. On top of that, he only scored 12 points against the Rockets earlier in the year, although that was admittedly in the season opener.
Team pick: UNDER 215.5 total points (-118)
With each team's biggest scorer predicted to have a down night and both Houston and Orlando having some of the better defenses in the league, expect it to be a quiet night from both offenses. Orlando will be playing for keeps, but for them, that means holding their opponent to a low-scoring night, which will likely be the case here.