Rockets vs. Raptors: 3 Best Bets

Before the Houston Rockets travel to Canada to take on the Toronto Raptors, we compiled our three best bets.

The road has not been friendly to the Houston Rockets this season. They are 0-2 on the current road trip thus far and are 5-18 on the season outside of Houston. The Toronto Raptors are not an elite team, beating only the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets over the last ten games. 

Earlier this month, the Rockets blew out the Raptors, 135-106 at home. It was Houston's third-highest-scoring game this season.

Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Former Raptor Fred VanVleet is out, as are Steven Adams and Tari Eason. Toronto will be without recent acquisitions Spencer Dinwiddie and Jontay Porter, and Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji are questionable, pending a trade from the Utah Jazz. 

Keep it posted here for our three best bets, powered by the lines at SI Sportsbook.

The Lines

Point spread: Raptors -2.5 (-105)/Rockets +2.5 (-118)

Money line: Raptors (-125)/Rockets (+100)

Over/under: 233.5

Our Picks

Safe pick: Jalen Green OVER 20.5 points (-111)

Jalen Green has been streaky, but his 23.4-point average over his last five games suggests that he can be counted on to rack up points. Against Toronto earlier, he only scored 14 points, but the Raptors do not have the best defensive backcourt. After a rough start to the season, Green has been playing well.

Opponent pick: Scottie Barnes OVER 20.5 points (-120)

Scottie Barnes received his first All-Star nod on the back of a do-all playstyle. Sure, he's an injury replacement, but it counts! He is averaging 20.2 points this season and only 19 points over his last five, but he scored 28 on Houston before, and there's no reason to think he won't do it again. After trading away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, the Raptors firmly believe that Barnes is their best player, and he's been proving them right. 

Rockets Remain Still on Deadline Day, What Does That Mean Moving Forward?

Team pick: OVER 233.5 total points (-118)

With one exception, both teams have hit this over in each of their last three games and hit 241 combined points in their last matchup. With Green and Barnes poised for big scoring nights and Houston's defense taking a small slide recently, there's no reason to think that this line won't hit.