Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns 2/4/19: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds
Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns Preview
In the first game of the regular season series tonight, the Houston Rockets travel West to Phoenix for a matchup against the lowly Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena tonight.
The Rockets haven’t had quite the instant success they may have expected when starting point guard Chris Paul rejoined the lineup. They are currently sixth in the Western Conference with a 30-22 record. They are 6-4 in their last 10 and won their most recent game. Phoenix has not budged from their position at the bottom of the West. They are 11-43 on the season with a 10-game losing streak.
While the Suns are home tonight, that hasn’t exactly played in their favor this season. The last time the Suns and Rockets met was on March 30, 2018, with the Rockets pulling out a 104-103 win behind 28 points and 10 assists from James Harden. Josh Jackson led the Suns with 27 points.
The matchup to watch tonight will be between scoring machine James Harden and Suns sharpshooter Devin Booker.
TV Schedule
Date: 02/04/19
Time: 9:00pm ET
Arena: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Channel: ATTSN-SW, FSA
Houston Rockets Starting Lineup
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| PG | Chris Paul |
| SG | James Harden |
| SF | Eric Gordon |
| PF | P.J. Tucker |
| C | Clint Capela |
Rockets Analysis
The Rockets followed two tough losses against the New Orleans Pelicans and Denver Nuggets with a 27-point win on Saturday night. They avenged an earlier loss to the Utah Jazz with their 125-98 win.
James Harden putting up unreal numbers on a nightly basis is starting to become the norm, but he did it yet again on Saturday with 43 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. Chris Paul was held out of the Jazz game, but the Rockets had no trouble finding offensive contributors in his offense. None were bigger than Gerald Green, who had 25 points in just 25 minutes off the bench.
Austin Rivers also saw significant playing time without Paul and finished the game with 16 points and five assists.
While it’s strange to talk about a team winning the trade deadline before the deadline has passed, especially considering the player was not traded, Houston have to be favorites after landing Kenneth Faried without giving up anything. Faried was little-used in Brooklyn and became available just when the Rockets needed a big man the most. On Saturday, he had another standout game against the Jazz with 16 points and 12 rebounds. He’s going to give the Rockets even more lineup flexibility once Capela returns to the lineup and will allow them to better defend both traditional and small ball lineups.
Rockets Quick Links: Rockets Starting Lineup, Rockets Roster, Rockets Depth Chart, Rockets Injuries, Rockets News, Rockets Schedule
Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| PG | Tyler Johnson |
| SG | Devin Booker |
| SF | Mikal Bridges |
| PF | Josh Jackson |
| C | DeAndre Ayton |
Contents
Suns Analysis
Nothing seems to be working according to plan in Phoenix this season, and if Robert Sarver wants a new arena, he’s likely going to have to put a better product on the floor. New coach, new GMs, and some new players have done nothing to change the fate of the Suns this season, who are likely in full punt mode and hope to grab a big name in the NBA Draft as they circle the drain in the Western Conference.
In their most recent loss Saturday night against the struggling Atlanta Hawks (17-35), they were outgunned in the first and fourth quarters as the Hawks rolled to a 118-112 victory. While they had big games from Booker, who had a near triple-double with 32 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds and Josh Jackson and Mikal Bridges, who had 25 and 20 apiece, their bench scoring is a weak point. Kelly Oubre has played well and Elie Okobo has shined in spots, but as a unit, they haven’t been able to provide enough offense to stay competitive, and that’s when several starters aren’t also struggling.
It also doesn’t get much better on the defensive end. John Collins got all he could eat on Saturday with 35 points and 16 rebounds, and rookie Trae Young had 27 points.
Offensive dry spells and defensive inconsistency is about the worst prescription you could write for a game against the Houston Rockets, so the Suns will likely have their hands full tonight.
Suns Quick Links: Suns Starting Lineup, Suns Roster, Suns Depth Chart, Suns Injuries, Suns News, Suns Schedule
Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns Betting Odds
The Rockets are 8.5 point favorites to win tonight’s road game. The over/under is 228 points and Houston is -400 on the moneyline after opening at -380.
Against the spread, Houston is 24-16-12 and the Suns are 22-15-17. Overall, the Rockets are 11-14 on the road and 23-15 as the favorite, while Phoenix is 7-20 at home and 10-40 as the underdog.
Odds & Line Movement Links: Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns, Vegas Odds (All NBA Games Today)
Want to Bet?
In bet on sports in a number of US states now. Pennsylvania and New Jersey or Pennsylvania? You can legally bet on sports. Lineups.com provides online sportsbook reviews and promo codes for the best online sportsbooks. Check out our latest bonuses: FanDuel sportsbook promo bonus, DraftKings sportsbook promo bonus, Pointsbet sportsbook promo code. You’ll find new user bonus offers that are tops in the industry.
DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Picks
Find all of our Fanduel and Draftkings projections here: https://www.lineups.com/nba/nba-fantasy-basketball-projections.
