Through 3 Quarters
Down two at the end of last quarter, the Houston Rockets have now snagged the lead. After three quarters neither squad has the game in the bag, but the Rockets lead 87-84 over the Orlando Magic.
Houston has been relying on power forward Christian Wood, who has posted a double-double on 18 points and 12 boards, and shooting guard Eric Gordon, who has 20 points. Those points put Gordon near his season high of 22. One thing to keep an eye out for is Jae’Sean Tate’s foul situation as he currently sits at four.
Point guard Cole Anthony (14 points), center Mo Bamba (13 points), and small forward Franz Wagner (12 points) have been the top scorers for Orlando. Franz Wagner has also picked up four fouls, though.
Who’s Playing
Orlando @ Houston
Current Records: Orlando 5-18; Houston 5-16
What to Know
The Houston Rockets are 9-3 against the Orlando Magic since November of 2015, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. They will face off against one another at 8 p.m. ET at Toyota Center. These two teams seek to continue their momentum from their previous wins.
After constant struggles on the road, the Rockets have finally found some success away from home. They skirted past the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-110. Small forward Jae’Sean Tate had a stellar game for Houston as he posted a double-double on 32 points and ten rebounds in addition to seven assists.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn’t a dominant performance, Orlando beat the Denver Nuggets 108-103 on Wednesday. The victory came about thanks to a strong surge after the half to overcome a 63-47 deficit. Orlando’s point guard Cole Anthony filled up the stat sheet, picking up 24 points and seven assists along with eight boards.
Barring any buzzer beaters, Houston is expected to win a tight contest. They are currently four-for-four against the spread in their most recent games, a trend bettors might want to take into account.
Houston is now 5-16 while the Magic sit at 5-18. A pair of stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: The Rockets are stumbling into the matchup with the fifth most points allowed per game in the league, having given up 111.9 on average. Orlando has experienced some struggles of their own as they are third worst in the league in points per game, with only 100 on average. It’s possible one of these Achilles’ heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
How To Watch
When: Friday at 8 p.m. ETWhere: Toyota Center — Houston, TexasTV: ATTSN SouthwestOnline streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)Follow: CBS Sports AppTicket Cost: $13.58
Odds
The Rockets are a slight 2.5-point favorite against the Magic, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 2.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
Houston have won nine out of their last 12 games against Orlando.
Apr 18, 2021 – Houston 114 vs. Orlando 110Jan 08, 2021 – Houston 132 vs. Orlando 90Mar 08, 2020 – Orlando 126 vs. Houston 106Dec 13, 2019 – Houston 130 vs. Orlando 107Jan 27, 2019 – Houston 103 vs. Orlando 98Jan 13, 2019 – Orlando 116 vs. Houston 109Jan 30, 2018 – Houston 114 vs. Orlando 107Jan 03, 2018 – Houston 116 vs. Orlando 98Feb 07, 2017 – Houston 128 vs. Orlando 104Jan 06, 2017 – Houston 100 vs. Orlando 93Dec 23, 2015 – Orlando 104 vs. Houston 101Nov 04, 2015 – Houston 119 vs. Orlando 114
Injury Report for Houston
Christian Wood: Game-Time Decision (Ankle)Kevin Porter: Game-Time Decision (Thigh)Usman Garuba: Out (Thigh)Jalen Green: Out (Hamstring)John Wall: Out (Not Injury Related)
Injury Report for Orlando
E’Twaun Moore: Out (Knee)Michael Carter-Williams: Out (Ankle)Markelle Fultz: Out (Knee)Jonathan Isaac: Out (Knee)Jalen Suggs: Out (Thumb)
