Houston Rockets Championship Odds 2023-2024

The current Houston Rockets NBA championship odds are . Houston unfortunately missed out on the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes; however, it was still able to land Amen Thompson, a tantalizing 6-foot-7 guard with elite speed and athleticism, with the fourth overall pick. Further, the Rockets somehow landed Cam Whitmore, a projected top-six pick (who fell in the first round due to an unfavorable physical), with the 20th pick. Before the draft, Whitmore was a no-brainer for the fifth or sixth pick, so Houston struck gold.

The Rockets now have a barrage of young talent they can build around, including Thompson, Whitmore, Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun. Will that core group be enough for Houston to be a championship contender eventually, or will it continue to flounder in the brutally tough Western Conference?

Houston Rockets NBA Championship Odds & Futures 2023-24

In the table below, you will see all of Houston’s available futures, with the best odds highlighted! Whether you want to bet on the Rockets’ championship odds, conference odds, division odds, or win total is up to you.

Houston seems to think that it is not as far off from being a contender as many experts around the league still believe; the Rockets signed Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, two veteran players who shoot a ton. Consequently, VanVleet and Brooks will take some tick and volume away from younger players desperate for development.

Perhaps this move was more about bringing in two hard-working vets to show the younger guys how to compete at a high level every night, even on the second night of a road back-to-back. Still, the Rockets are going to be an intriguing team, as many players will want to shoot the ball; it should make for a much more competitive environment than in past years, though. Take a look at Houston’s strengths and weaknesses ahead of the 2023-24 season below!

Reasons Why Houston Rockets Can & Can’t Win NBA 2023-24 Championship

Strengths

• Athleticism: Few teams have the quality of athletes that Houston does. Amen Thompson and Jalen Green are easily two of the top ten most athletic players in the NBA, and Kevin Porter Jr. and Cam Whitmore are not too far behind. Additionally, Jabari Smith Jr. is a rangy 6-foot-11 wing who possesses terrific athletic prowess. This team will be a group of game-breakers in transition if nothing else.
• Shot-Making: If you watch Houston’s highlights from last season, one thing will be blatantly evident: Green and KPJ are elite “tough shot-makers.” It didn’t matter if the Rockets were at the end of the shot clock with no good looks because those two consistently made something out of nothing. Both players are still incredibly young and have room to grow, so Rockets fans should be pleased about the future if they continue to grow, mature, and improve on their playmaking abilities for others around them.
• Coaching: If there is one coach who can turn the direction of this organization around, it is Ime Udoka. Despite a falling out with the Boston Celtics, Udoka remains one of the better young coaches in the league and someone that this Rockets team can rally around.

Weaknesses

• Maturity/Experience: Most would agree that Houston has one of the least mature teams in the NBA, even after the acquisition of Fred VanVleet in the off-season. Dillon Brooks is a physical trash-talker known for making immature plays on the floor, and the rest of the Rockets are younger players who have not quite learned how to carry the level of professionalism that it takes to be successful in this league. Age and organizational culture are the two biggest reasons why this is the case, but it still is an inhibitor to the ultimate goal: a championship.
• Defense: How bad were the Houston Rockets on the defensive end of the floor? It’s hard even to quantify it, honestly. The Rockets finished 29th in defensive rating and 28th in opponent eFG% (effective field goal percentage) and opponent 3P% (three-point percentage.) Additionally, they allowed the most points to opposing power forwards and centers and the third-most to opposing point guards. The good news is that Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. will quickly turn into high-impact defenders at the next level, while Dillon Brooks is one of the best wing defenders in the league.
• Lack of Superstar Talent: When you look at the past nine NBA Champions, every single one had a bonafide superstar; Houston does not have one of those. The only recent exception of a team that won in the absence of a clear-cut top-five player in the league was the San Antonio Spurs. Still, they had Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.