On Friday night, the Sixers and Rockets meet in the final seeding game of their respective schedules. Let’s get into our Sixers-Rockets betting preview, including odds, boosts, and picks.

But before we do, FOX Bet has a 76 to 1 odds offer on any Sixers bet in August. Sign up in Pennsylvania here and in New Jersey here.

Preview

Things haven’t gone according to plan for Philadelphia or Houston, as the Sixers have limped to a 3-4 record in the bubble, while the Rockets have fared just one game better at 4-3 since arriving in Orlando.

The Sixers will once again be without Ben Simmons, who is believed to be out for the remainder of the season. Luckily for the Sixers, Tobias Harris, Josh Richardson, Al Horford, and Joel Embiid were back in the lineup for a clash against Toronto in their last game after missing the previous game against the Suns. The only notable name on the injury report -aside from Simmons- is Embiid, who is questionable with left ankle soreness.

The Rockets will be without one of their dynamic guards as Russell Westbrook is out with a right quad strain. The Rockets were unable to overcome the loss of Westbrook as they fell to the Pacers 108-104, snapping what had been a 3-game winning streak.

While the Sixers have nothing to lose in this one, having been already locked into a first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics, the Rockets can vault over the Thunder for the fourth-seed in the conference with a win and an Oklahoma City loss.

 

Sixers vs. Rockets Odds

Here’s the line for the Sixers and Rockets at DraftKings Sportsbook PA:

  • Spread: Sixers +4.5, Rockets -4.5
  • Moneyline: Sixers +155, Rockets -186
  • Total: 230.5

And here are the current best available odds for the Sixers (may not display on Google AMP pages):

 

Bets We Like With a Sixers Win

FiveThirtyEight gives the Sixers a 42% chance of winning with a -2 point line. That’s just 2.8% away from the team’s implied win probability, based on the moneyline, of 39.2%. Either way, the oddsmakers and the FiveThirtyEight model agree the Sixers are an underdog.

 

Sixers to Win and Over 230.5 Total Points (+380, DraftKings)

While the Sixers have been installed as the underdog in this game, there’s reason to believe they could pull off an upset in this one. The Sixers tend to struggle against elite guards and while James Harden will certainly get his, the lack of Russell Westbrook in the lineup is a huge relief to a Sixers backcourt relying on Shake Milton and Raul Neto to take on a large number of minutes. Another thing going in the Sixers’ favor is that Joel Embiid should absolutely feast on an interior defense that starts former Sixers small forward Robert Covington at center. Additionally, the Sixers have seen 11 of their past 13 games go over the total points threshold.

You can get this one at DraftKings Sportsbook by clicking here.

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Bets We Like With a Rockets Win

Rockets Win and Over 230.5 Total Points (+205, DraftKings)

Although the Rockets have seen the under hit in four of their past five games, the Sixers have seen the over hit in three consecutive games and 11-of-13 overall. With the huge mismatch between Joel Embiid and any frontcourt player for the Rockets and the disparity in terms of skill and scoring between James Harden and Philly’s guards, the over should hit. Additionally, the Rockets have won ten of their past twelve games against the Sixers. The Sixers’ last win against Houston came over a year and a half ago in a 121-93 blowout in Philadelphia with two teams that looked vastly different from their current iterations.

You can get this one at DraftKings Sportsbook by clicking here.

 

James Harden Over 34.5 Points and Rockets Win (+250, FOX Bet)

With Russell Westbrook out of the lineup, someone needs to pick up the scoring load. Who better to do so than last year’s runner-up for the league’s MVP award James Harden? In six games in the bubble thus far, Harden has averaged 35.3 points. Unless Harden gets consistently double-teamed by Josh Richardson and some combination of Shake Milton/Raul Neto, it seems likely that Harden will eclipse at least 30 points.

New users at FOX Bet can get a $20 free bet with no deposit and a $100 deposit match when they sign up in PA here and NJ here.

 

 

Bets We Like Independent of Outcome

Any Sixers Bet (76 to 1 Odds FOX Bet)

As noted above, FOX Bet is has a wild 76 to 1 odds offer on any Sixers bet this month. Sign up using the links here depending on your state and place your first bet for $1 on any Sixers single game bet (opt-in by selecting “challenges” once you’re signed up). You’ll be credited $76 win or lose.

New users at FOX Bet can get a $20 free bet with no deposit and a $100 deposit match when they sign up in PA here and NJ here.

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Sixers vs. Rockets Prediction

Pick: Despite the Rockets’ lack of interior size to counteract the offensive prowess of Joel Embiid, the Rockets are a safer bet until the Sixers prove deserving of respect against a contending team.

Take the Rockets to win and over 230.5 points. Also, take James Harden to score over 34.5 points and the Rockets to win.