Rockets vs. Blazers odds, line: 2020 NBA picks, Jan. 30 predictions

Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers will host Russell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. James Harden (thigh) has missed the last two games and is listed as questionable against Portland. Clint Capela (heel) missed Monday’s game and is also questionable on Wednesday. Portland hasn’t played since Sunday, so the Blazers are well rested and have a clean injury report for Wednesday’s Western Conference showdown.

Tip-off is set for 10 p.m ET from the Moda Center. Sportsbooks list the Rockets as two-point road favorites, while the over-under for total points is 238.5 in the latest Rockets vs. Blazers odds. Before you make any Blazers vs. Rockets picks or NBA predictions, see what SportsLine’s advanced computer model has to say.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and last season it returned a whopping $4,280 on its top-rated NBA spread and money line picks. It’s already returned almost $3,000 in profit on all top-rated NBA picks during the 2019-20 season and entered Week 15 on a blistering 33-16 run on all top-rated NBA spread picks. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Rockets vs. Blazers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Blazers vs. Rockets:

Rockets vs. Trail Blazers spread: Houston -2
Rockets vs. Trail Blazers over-under: 238.5 points
Rockets vs. Trail Blazers money line: Houston -136, Portland +114
HOU: The Rockets are just 2-6 ATS in road games since Christmas Day.
POR: The Trail Blazers have the NBA’s third-worst home ATS record (7-14-1) on the year.

Why the Rockets can cover

The model is well aware of how little home court advantage has meant to the Trail Blazers this season. Their 33 percent cover rate when playing at the Moda Center is the third-worst in the NBA, and Portland has covered the spread just once in its last eight home games.

Meanwhile, the Rockets have covered the spread in two of three games on their recent road trip, including a shocking nine-point victory in Utah on Monday. Houston didn’t have Harden, Capela or Westbrook for that game and still beat a tough Jazz team on the road. Eric Gordon stepped up for the shorthanded Rockets, providing 50 points on just 22 shots, while Danuel House contributed across the board, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and five steals.

Houston now has a healthy Westbrook back for a matchup that he has dominated this season. In two previous meetings with the Blazers, Westbrook has averaged 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists.

Why the Trail Blazers can cover

The model is well aware that while Westbrook has been playing well lately, there’s no player in the NBA hotter than Lillard at the moment. In three games over the past 10 days, Lillard is averaging an absurd 53 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. He’s averaged nine made 3-pointers on 57 percent shooting from beyond the arc during that stretch.

Hassan Whiteside also has been thriving during that sample, averaging 17 points, 15 rebounds, and nearly five blocks. If Capela isn’t able to suit up for the Rockets, Whiteside could dominate the paint on both sides of the court in this matchup. And when the Blazers get an active Whiteside, they are a much better team. Whiteside has nine games in which he contributed five-plus blocks and 15-plus rebounds this season. The Blazers are 8-1 in those games and just 12-26 in all other games.

How to make Rockets vs. Blazers picks

SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total. In fact, the model is projecting another monster game from Westbrook, while Trevor Ariza and Gary Trent both provide a spark off the bench and exceed their average point output for the Blazers. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations.