76’ers at Rockets – No Yao Equals No Win
When the Philadelphia 76’ers take the court against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, they will do so without their best big man, and one of the most prized free agents of the off-season, Elton Brand, at full strength. That’s not a good thing because the Houston Rockets have perhaps the best center in the NBA right now, Yao Ming. Without Yao, the Rockets no doubt would be a sub .500 team this season. With Yao they haven’t been all that great garnering a straight-up record of 28 and 18 and a sports betting record of 21 and 25 against the BetUS online sportsbook betting spread. Tracey McGrady and Yao Ming are terrific but for some reason the two of them, along with a nice supporting cast, just aren’t good enough to move Houston into the upper echelons in the NBA.
The 76’ers at least can play Elton Brand. But his effectiveness has to be questioned after he supplied only 3 rebounds in Philly’s last game. Brand didn’t score in close to 19 minutes. That’s a terrible sign for the 76’ers who were counting on Brand to be as dominant as he was when he played for the Los Angeles Clippers. Steady Andre Miller and all-star Andre Iguodala anchor Philadelphia who has a straight-up record of 21 and 22. Their straight-up record of 21 and 22 mirrors their against the spread record.
Game-day: 1/28/2009
Tip-off: 8:30 pm est.
The BetUS online sportsbook odds makers haven’t released any betting lines on this game yet. I have written my personal online betting lines below.
Philadelphia 76’ers +6 ½ -110 O 205 ½ -110
Houston Rockets -6 ½ -110 U 205 ½ -110
Here are a few online wagering trends that might help us find a good online bet in this game.
The Philadelphia 76’ers are 4 and 1 against the spread in the last 5 meetings between these two teams in Houston.
The Philadelphia 76’ers are 4 and 1 against the spread in their last 5 games on the road.
The Houston Rockets are 6 and 0 against the spread in their last 6 games following an against the spread loss.
The Houston Rockets are 2 and 6 against the spread playing in their last 8 games after 1 day of rest.
This is a difficult game for NBA betting fans to handicap. It could come down to the BetUS online sportsbook point spread.
What I mean by that, is that the 76’ers beat the Rockets by 8 points in Houston the last time these two teams met. Now, they play the Rockets in Houston again. Will history repeat itself? It could, but Houston should be better prepared for this game.
Yao Ming is probable for this game. If he doesn’t play, then the Rockets are a terrible online bet no matter what the point spread. If he does play, then the Rockets are a good bet to cover at -5 or less.
Now, if the BetUS odds makers release an online wagering spread where the Rockets are favored by more than 5 points, then the 76’ers become a good online bet.
76ers vs. Rockets Free Prediction:
So, I’m gong to wait and see what the online odds are in this game. If the against the spread line ends up 76’ers +6 or higher, then I’m taking Philadelphia. If the against the spread line ends up Rockets -5 or lower than I’m going with the Rockets.
