Rockets vs. Clippers prediction, odds, pick – 12/23/2025

NBA Tuesday will conclude in the Western Conference as we bring you a betting prediction and pick for the slate’s final matchup. The Houston Rockets (17-9) will take on the Los Angeles Clippers (7-21), Houston leading the season series 1-0. Check our NBA odds series for the Rockets-Clippers prediction and pick.

The Houston Rockets are sixth in the Western Conference standings, most recently losing to the Sacramento Kings 125-124 in overtime. After winning 10 of 12 games, the Rockets have dropped four of their last six and will need to tighten things up if they want to remain undefeated against the Clippers.

The Los Angeles Clippers are 14th in the Western Conference, most recently stunning the Los Angeles Lakers 103-88. The win snapped a five-game losing streak, but they’ve still only notched three wins over their last 13 games. They hope to build upon their momentum with another upset here.

NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings

Rockets vs. Clippers Odds

Houston Rockets: -7.5 (-120)

Los Angeles Clippers: +7.5 (+100)

Over: 219.5 (-108)

Under: 219.5 (-112)

Rockets vs. Clippers Key Injuries 

Houston: Dorian Finney-Smith, OUT (ankle) / Fred VanVleet, OUT (knee)

Los Angeles: Bradley Beal, OUT (hip) / Derrick Jones Jr., OUT (knee) / Ivica Zubac, OUT (ankle)

Rockets vs. Clippers Betting Trends

• The Los Angeles Clippers are 4-8 at home. The Houston Rockets are 9-7 on the road.
• The Rockets are 16-8 outright as betting favorites. The Clippers are 2-12 as the underdogs.
• The Clippers are 9-19 ATS overall, 2-10 ATS at home. The Rockets are 15-11 ATS overall, 10-6 ATS on the road.
• The Rockets are 2-1 in their last three games against the Clippers. The Clippers are 2-1 ATS in those games.
• The Rockets are 1-5 ATS in their last six games.
• The Clippers are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 home games.
• The total has gone OVER in five of Houston’s last six games.
• The total has gone UNDER in five of the Clippers’ last seven games.

Keys to Rockets vs. Clippers Matchup

The first meeting between these two squads was decided by just a basket as the Rockets took down Los Angeles 115-113 just four games ago. Clippers’ Ivica Zubac was the game’s highest scorer with 33 points, just two points shy of his career-high of 35. Clearly, the matchup against Alperen Sengun is a beneficial one, but the Clippers have been pressed for interior options with Zubac out to injury. Both veterans Brook Lopez and Nicolas Batum will have to step up in a big way to make up for the absence of their big man.

Luckily, the Rockets have been struggling to cover their spreads as of late and while the Clippers haven’t been able to cover at home in their own right, they stand to see a big game thanks to the matchups against James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. Harden is once again in the league’s elite company with 8.2 APG, ranking him fifth. With Zubac out, Harden may have to become more aggressive in shooting the ball from deep and forgoing the pass-first mentality to go and get buckets for his team.

The Rockets won’t go down easily and with Kevin Durant going up against his former teammate, we should see another cool 20 points and an efficient night out of Durant. The most important player on the floor for Houston will be PG Amen Thompson, who’s taken a massive leap with his scoring (17.5 PPG) in the last year. His on-ball defense is some of the best in the league and we should be in for a fun battle as he tries to shutdown an elite scorer like Harden.

With Zubac out, expect both Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. to see a ton of work in the low post as the Rockets try to pressure the Clippers from the inside-out. They should have a stern advantage in the interior scoring and it’ll be interesting to see if the Clippers can keep up with their activity around the rim.

Rockets vs. Clippers Prediction and Pick

Ivica Zubac is the most important player on this Clippers squad as much of their offensive success stems from him securing rebounds and being a highly-efficient scorer around the rim. Without him, the Rockets will have a significant mismatch in the paint with Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr., so expect both players to see a ton of work with Zubac out.

While James Harden and Kawhi Leonard have been capable of single-handedly carrying their teams in the past, this is clearly a different situation at this point of their careers and they won’t be very successful without an effective team around them. While the Rockets have a future Hall-of-Famer in Kevin Durant, the rest of the team is able to hold their own when he’s off the floor.

I don’t expect the Clippers’ bench to make a massive difference throughout this game, so we’re going to roll with the Houston Rockets to cover the spread as the game total surpasses the rather low mark.

Final Rockets-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Houston Rockets -7.5 (-120); OVER 219.5 (-108)

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