Suns vs. Rockets Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for December 2 (Phoenix Starts Slow at the Footprint Center)

Suns vs. Rockets Game Info

• Date: Friday, December 2, 2022
• Time: 9:00 PM ET
• Venue: Footprint Center -- Phoenix, Arizona
• Coverage: BSAZ and SportsNet SW

The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Friday with 11 more games, including a battle between the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns. The Rockets gave way to the Denver Nuggets in a 120-100 loss on Wednesday. Kevin Porter Jr. paced Houston's offense with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Meanwhile, the Suns extended their wining streak to six games in a row with 132-113 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Devin Booker put on a scoring clinic in the victory, racking up 51 points on 20-of-25 shooting. Deandre Ayton added yet another double-double (30 points & 14 rebounds).

Suns vs. Rockets Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: PHO: (-650) | HOU: (+480)
• Spread: PHO: -11.5 (-110) | HOU: +11.5 (-110)
• Total: 229.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Suns enter this contest as heavy home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 9 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 229.5 points, which is above average compared to the rest of Friday's projected totals.

Suns vs. Rockets Betting Trends

• The Suns have put together a 13-7-0 record against the spread this season.
• The Rockets have yet to cover the spread this year when underdogs by 12 points or more.
• Games involving the Suns have hit the over nine times out of 21 chances this season.
• The Rockets have gone over the point total 52.4% of the time this season (11 of 21 games with a set point total).
• Phoenix has done a better job covering the spread at home (9-4-0) than it has in road affairs (4-3-0).
• Houston's winning percentage against the spread at home is .500 (4-3-1). On the road, it is .385 (5-7-1).

Suns vs. Rockets Prediction & Pick

Talk about a mismatch. The Rockets enter this game at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 5-16 record, while the Suns sit up top with a 15-6 record. It's not hard to tell why Houston is struggling as it ranks 28th in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The team is failing in all facets of the game.

It's been a completely different story for Phoenix. The Suns boast a top-6 mark in both offensive and defensive efficiency, while ranking ninth in assists per game (27.0) and fourth in turnovers per game (13.4). Clean basketball leads to victories more often than not, so I feel comfortable backing Phoenix.

Fade Houston here as the Suns are also 9-0 straight up in its last nine games against the Rockets.

Final Score Prediction: Suns: 120 | Rockets: 110

Suns vs. Rockets Best Bet

The Suns will eventually pull away in this game, but don't expect it to be in the first half. While Phoenix ranks 10th in the NBA in first half points per game (58.0), Houston checks in not too far behind at 19th (56.1). The Suns average first half home scoring margin is also +3.5, which ranks outside the top 10.

Overall, head coach Monty Williams' squad is just 9-7-1 against the spread (ATS) in the first half this season and have led by more than 7 points at the break just once in the last 10 games. Houston is 8-8-1 ATS in the first half and has trailed by more than 7 points in only one of its last seven games.

Bet: Houston Rockets 1H +7.5 (-115)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.