Philadelphia 76ers vs Houston Rockets: Prediction and betting tips | Dec. 29, 2023

The Philadelphia 76ers (21-9) will visit the Houston Rockets (15-14) on Friday, December 29. The Sixers have been impressive this season, playing a high-paced brand of basketball that has moved away from the isolation-heavy system of Doc Rivers. Nick Nurse has his team moving the rock well and creating high-quality shooting opportunities in transition and in the half-court.

The Houston Rockets have also been impressive under their new head coach, Ime Udoka. Their commitment to half-court defense and methodical offense has ensured they've been a drastically improved roster from what we've seen in previous seasons.

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Philadelphia 76ers vs. Houston Rockets: Game details, prediction and betting tips

Game Details

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (21-9) vs. Houston Rockets (15-14)

Date and Time: Dec. 29, 2023 | 8:00 p.m. ET

Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

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Philadelphia 76ers vs Houston Rockets: Preview

The Philadelphia 76ers will enter their game against the Houston Rockets without Joel Embiid, who is currently dealing with a right ankle sprain. Nicolas Batum will also be absent from the Sixers rotation due to a hamstring strain. As such, there will be a significant amount of pressure on Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris to step up their production.

The Rockets are also navigating some injury issues. Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr. are both out of the game against Philadelphia, while Tari Eason is questionable due to lower leg soreness. Brooks' absence will hurt the Rockets, his intensity and leadership will be a big miss for Udoka's team.

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Philadelphia 76ers vs Houston Rockets: Starting lineups

The Philadelphia 76ers starting lineup will likely look like this: Tyrese Maxey, De'Anthony Melton, Kelly Oubre Jr., Tobias Harris and Paul Reed.

Without Joel Embiid in the rotation, the Sixers will look to Maxey to lead the offense as the primary scorer. Reed and Melton will likely be relied upon to set the tone defensively.

The Houston Rockets starting lineup could look like this: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Jae'Sean Tate, Amen Thomson and Alperen Sengun.

The absence of Dillion Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr. will ensure that Ime Udoka needs to get creative with his lineups and rotation management. However, Fred VanVleet's presence should allow the Rockets to maintain their gritty defensive system.

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Philadelphia 76ers vs Houston Rockets: Betting Tips

Tobias Harris enters the game against the Houston Rockets with odds of -107 to score under 21.5 points. With Jabari Smith Jr. absent from Houston's rotation and Joel Embiid missing from the Sixers lineup, Harris will have a bigger role and likely face a secondary defender.

De'Anthony Melton has odds of -135 to score over 2.5 threes in his matchup against the Houston Rockets. He's currently averaging 2.1 made threes per game, so will need to slightly up his production if he's going to hit the over against Houston.

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Philadelphia 76ers vs Houston Rockets: Prediction

The Philadelphia 76ers are marginal favorites heading into their game against the Houston Rockets. They're -1.5 on the spread and -118 on the money line. However, the absence of Joel Embiid will hit Nick Nurse's team hard and force them to play through their backcourt rather than at the nail and high post.

The Rockets, on the other hand, will look to take advantage of their athleticism and youth. Alperen Sengun's diverse skillset will likely be an influential factor, as will the experience and grit of Fred VanVleet. Nevertheless, the Sixers should still have too much talent and experience for the rebuilding Rockets to overcome.