One of two games in the late window tonight, the meeting between the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers may prove closer than expected. With Alperen Sengun (ankle) sidelined, the visitors are down one of their top talents and the driving hub of their offense. If they are indeed vulnerable, a young Blazers squad will look to capitalize on the moment and secure a standout win over one of the NBA’s contenders.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Houston is a -6.5 favorite with -265 odds to win on the Moneyline. The game total is set at 221.5 combined points.
Here are a couple of the best Rockets vs. Trail Blazers prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Wednesday night’s game.
Best Rockets vs. Trail Blazers player prop bets
Amen Thompson 6+ assists (-110)
The Rockets continue to operate without Sengun while he deals with this recent ankle issue. With the star center typically hovering at a 26.5% usage rate, there will be plenty of touches available for his teammates while he remains sidelined. That obviously bodes well for Kevin Durant, but Amen Thompson is another beneficiary. The hyper-athletic guard may not always be best served as the team’s primary playmaker, but he does possess some impressive passing chops when given the opportunity at a larger scale. Thompson already averages 5.2 assists per game this season, the best mark of his career. If any player aside from Durant sees the chance to work in a lead distributor role, it makes sense that the former No. 3 pick would get those responsibilities added to his plate. Thompson has recorded at least six assists in 16 of his 33 games thus far and now faces a Portland defense allowing the eighth-most PPG to opponents, so the circumstances are right for some dimes tonight.
Donovan Clingan under 11.5 rebounds (-132)
Second-year center Donovan Clingan shows signs of growth for the Trail Blazers thus far. He’s starting on a nightly basis and averages a double-double with 11.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, and the most impressive statistic may just be his league-leading 4.6 offensive boards per night. He knows plenty about crashing the glass at 7-foot-2 and 280 pounds, but tonight’s matchup may prove problematic for the former No. 7 selection. The Rockets are one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA with a league-best 48.8 boards per game, with 16.0 of those on the offensive end also pacing all teams in the category. Yes, Clingan is a great talent on the glass. Still, he’ll battle with Steven Adams, Jabari Smith Jr. and the aforementioned Amen Thompson in the paint tonight. With Houston’s entire roster built around dominating in that facet of the game, Clingan should stay under 11.5 rebounds here.
