Boston Celtics vs Houston Rockets Prediction, 1/3/2025 Preview and Pick

Game: Boston Celtics vs Houston Rockets

Date: Friday, January 3, 2025

Location: Toyota Center in Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

The Houston Rockets (21-11) will take on the Boston Celtics (23-9) at Toyota Center on Friday.

The Celtics faced off with the Pacers and took a loss by a score of 123-114 in their last game. Boston wrapped up the game with a 46.2% field goal percentage (43 out of 93) and made 16 out of their 54 shots from downtown. At the free throw line, the Celtics made 12 of 19 tries for a rate of 63.2%. When talking about rebounding, they earned 41 with 8 of them being offensive. They also distributed 26 dimes for this contest while creating 9 turnovers and getting 6 steals. When it comes to the defense, Boston allowed the other team to shoot 52.9% from the field on 46 of 87 shooting. Indiana distributed 27 assists and had 6 steals in this contest. Furthermore, Indiana grabbed 50 boards (11 offensive, 39 defensive) and earned 6 blocks. Indiana finished the game shooting 81.5% from the free throw line by making 22 of their 27 attempts. They also converted 9 of their 23 shots from beyond the perimeter. Concerning fouls, the Celtics ended up finishing with 22 while the Pacers racked up 17 fouls.

Jaylen Brown is a player who was a major contributor for the game. He recorded 31 points on 13 out of 21 shooting. He saw the court for 36 mins and also grabbed 4 rebounds. Brown finished the game shooting 61.9% from the floor and also dished out 6 assists.

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Boston heads into this one with a win-loss record of 23-9 so far this year. They average 119.5 points per outing (4th in the league) while going 45.8% from the field. The Celtics are shooting 36.4% on shots beyond the perimeter (590 of 1,621) and 79.5% from the free throw line. As a unit, Boston is pulling in 45.4 rebounds per game and has accounted for 819 assists this season, which is 14th in basketball in terms of passing the rock. They lose possession via turnover 11.9 times per game and as a team they commit 16.4 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

Defensively, the Celtics are forcing 13.3 turnovers per contest while drawing 19.2 fouls. They are 10th in basketball in giving up assists to the opposition with 791 surrendered on the year. The Celtics defensively are giving up and opponent field goal percentage of 45.8% (1,327 of 2,897) and they concede 44.3 boards per game as a unit. They relinquish 35.2% on 3-pointers and they are ranked 8th in the league in PPG from their opponents (110.1).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Rockets went home defeated by a final of 104-100 when they played the Heat. The Rockets snagged 33 defensive boards and 19 offensive rebounds for a total of 52 for the game. They also turned the ball over 13 times, while recording 5 steals for this contest. The Heat were called for 14 personal fouls for the game which got the Rockets to the charity stripe for 13 attempts. They were able to make 11 of those for a percentage of 84.6%. When talking about shooting from beyond the arc, Houston converted 13 of 40 attempts (32.5%). When the final whistle blew, the Rockets ended up shooting 38 out of 97 from the floor which gave them a rate of 39.2%. The Rockets allowed the Heat to knock down 37 of 84 tries from the floor which left them with a rate of 44.0% for the contest. They shot 30.3% from beyond the arc by hitting 10 out of 33 and ended up shooting 20 out of 28 at the free throw line (71.4%). With respect to rebounding, Houston permitted Miami to get 52 overall (15 offensive).

Dillon Brooks ended up being a factor for the Rockets for the game. He knocked down 8 of 20 in this matchup for a rate of 40.0%, and tallied 4 rebounds. Brooks scored 22 points in his 40 mins on the court, but wrapped up this contest with no dimes.

Houston has a mark of 21-11 this season. The Rockets are committing 19.8 fouls per game and they go 76.8% from the charity stripe. They are getting an assist 22.4 times per game (29th in the NBA) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 13.7 times per game. Houston has 3,615 pts so far this year (113.0 per game) and they average 49.8 rebounds per game. As an offense, the Rockets are shooting 44.3% from the floor, which ranks them 27th in basketball.

The Rockets are ranked 3rd in the NBA in points per game surrendered with 106.6. They are forcing 15.2 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 43.7% from the field (2nd in basketball). The Houston defense allows 34.8% on shots from beyond the arc (388 of 1,114) and their opposition makes 74.3% of their free throw attempts. They have conceded 22.6 dimes and 43.8 rebounds on a nightly basis, which ranks them 2nd and 12th in the NBA.

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Boston

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