Rockets vs Spurs Betting Odds – Spurs Will Bounce Back After Ugly Loss

The Rockets vs Spurs betting odds will match two Texas teams against each other but the Rockets could be walking into a buzz saw. The Spurs are coming off a home loss to the Utah Jazz and after a poor defensive effort, online betting cappers know Gregg Poppovich will motivate his team to play much better on Friday night.

The Storyline - Rockets vs Spurs betting odds breakdown
The Houston Rockets continue to motor along even without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. Rick Adelman has inspired the team concept and the Rockets tend to outwork a lot of teams, but the reality is that without a superstar, this team is still one brick short of a load.

Meanwhile, San Antonio has been playing better recently but they look fairly old and slow. A loss to the Utah Jazz this week showed exactly that as Tim Duncan couldn’t even get the 15 points he needed to reach 20,000. The Spurs typically play better as the playoffs approach.

Offensive Matchups - Rockets vs Spurs betting odds breakdown
The Rockets play an excellent team brand of basketball and the sum is greater than the parts. Aaron Brooks and Trevor Ariza are a nice backcourt while Shane Battier and Luis Scola are solid. But there is no real crunch-time go-to guy and there isn’t a player on this team that can score at will. That’s a problem when this team faces elite squads.

Sportsbook odds makers know that the Spurs typically bounce back very well after bad games and this will be the case again. Duncan had a weak performance on Wednesday and backup DeJuan Blair, who had been on fire, also had a sluggish game. Look for the Spurs to be much more efficient up front and use their talent advantages at every position to score more in this contest.

Betting Edge: Spurs

Defensive Matchups - Rockets vs Spurs betting odds breakdown
The Rockets play a good brand of team defense, which is why they are able to be an above .500 team with marginal talent. But without Yao this year and with Chuck Hayes starting at center, the Rockets have had trouble protecting the basket. They average just 3.8 blocks per game, which is the second-lowest total in the NBA.

Meanwhile, the Spurs are one of the better defensive teams in the league. They have the fifth-best defense overall and are coming off a game where their defense was gashed. You can be sure that they’ll be ready to play better – especially at home.

Betting Edge: Spurs

Notable Injuries - Rockets vs Spurs betting odds breakdown
Spurs guard Michael Finley has an ankle injury and is day-to-day.

Betting Edge: Rockets

Betting Prediction - Rockets vs Spurs betting odds breakdown
This is just a bad spot for the Rockets. They don’t usually match up well against the Spurs – especially on the road – and the Spurs are coming off a bad performance on Wednesday at home to Utah. They’ll be ready for this game and they’ll get the win and cover rather easily.

Craig’s Pick: Spurs

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