The Sixers look to get back on track after a dismal loss to Bulls when they travel to Houston tonight to take on the Rockets. Here’s everything you need to know about betting on the game, including Sixers-Rockets odds.

Betting odds

The Sixers opened as a 6.5-point underdog at NJ sportsbooks, but the line has since surged strongly in Houston’s favor with it now sitting at 8 to 8.5 at shops such as DraftKings and FanDuel. Meanwhile, the total checks in at 232. As of early Friday afternoon, 55% of total bets back the Sixers, but only 17% of the total money. Sharp bettors are pounding Houston.

sixers rockets odds draftkings

sixers rockets odds fanduel

TV and radio schedule

The game will be broadcast locally on NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA in Philly and AT&T SportsNet in Houston. The game will also be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Tune to 97.5 The Fanatic in Philly and ESPN RADIO 790 AM in Houston to hear it on the radio.

The big story

The Sixers look to rebound off a hideous late collapse in a infuriating loss to the Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday night. The team will be once again without center Joel Embiid as it looks to close the gap on the Pacers for the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed. In order to do it, Brett Brown’s squad will need to bring its “A-game” against a Rockets team that has won six-straight overall and boasts an impressive 22-9 home record.

Against the spread info to know

Neither team has been particularly impressive overall against the number this season. The Sixers are 31-34 ATS while the Rockets are 29-33-2 ATS. Philadelphia is only 13-18 ATS away from the Wells Fargo Center this season, while Houston is 16-14-1 ATS at home. More specifically, the Sixers are 8-9 ATS as road dogs and the Rockets are 13-13-1 ATS as home favorites, so neither team has stood out from those angles.

As previously noted, the Sixers are coming off a difficult loss in their previous game, and that typically bodes well for bettors backing them the next time they take the court. Philadelphia is 15-8 ATS off a loss this season, good for the NBA’s third-best mark. Take it back to last season and they are 33-22-2 ATS following a loss, which is the league’s second-best record in that timeframe.

Also of note, the Sixers are 75-39 ATS after a road game over the last three seasons.

The Sixers have also performed better in non-conference games, going 14-12 ATS, while Houston is an unimpressive 10-14-1 ATS in such contests. One more interesting trend going against Houston in this one: teams that have won six-straight games are 10-12 ATS in their following game and 3-7 ATS at home. Dating back to 2003, NBA teams 72-82-4 ATS when riding a six-game win-streak in this spot.

Perhaps offsetting these trends, however, is the Rockets’ success against teams coming off a loss when they’re at home. Houston is an impressive 6-1-1 ATS in this situation.

There are also some additional situational concerns for Philly. They are only 8-10 ATS, including three-straight losses to teams with a winning percentage above .600. They are 13-17 ATS when playing a team that covers less than half their total games (the Rockets have covered 46.8% of their contests), and they are 6-11 ATS when on the road against a team covering less than half their games.

The Rockets’ offensive capability is also a concern. Brett Brown’s team is only 7-11 ATS when facing a team that averages at least 113 points per game.

How does the Sixers’ lack of rest effect this one? NBA road teams playing their third game in four nights are 106-127-3 ATS this season and road dogs are 78-90-1 ATS. Specifically, the Sixers are 2-3 ATS in this spot.

In terms of the total, the over is 19-11-1 in Houston home games. The over is also 9-3 in games at the Toyota Center when the Rockets are favored. The over is 17-13 in Sixers games when their previous contest was on the road. It is worth noting, however, the under has hit in six of the seven games since Joel Embiid has been sidelined.

[INSERT_ELEMENTOR id=”89700″]

The Pick

The line movement at New Jersey sports betting sites in Houston’s favor is telling, as is the total bets to total money disparity. The Rockets have excelled at home against teams coming off a loss and the Sixers have struggled to cover against teams that…struggle to cover. In terms of the total, the over has been successful at the Toyota Center this year and the three-year sample of the over hitting in 75 of 114 games following a Sixers’ road game is strong. Frankly, I don’t love the side or total in this one, and won’t bet it myself, but I’ll put a slight lean on Houston and the over.