Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction, 1/9/2026 Preview and Pick

Game: Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers

Date: Friday, January 9, 2026

Location: Moda Center in Portland, OR

TV: Rip City Television Network

The Portland Trail Blazers (18-20) are welcoming the Houston Rockets (22-12) at Moda Center on Friday.

The Rockets faced the Trail Blazers and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 103-102 in their last game. When discussing personal fouls, the Rockets walked away with 26 while the Trail Blazers recorded 21 personal fouls. They also converted 12 of their 40 attempts from long range. Portland finished shooting 76.0% when shooting free throws by converting 19 of 25 shots. In addition, Portland had 38 rebounds (6 offensive, 32 defensive) and had 7 blocks. Portland distributed 21 assists and had 7 steals in this game. In reference to the defense, Houston let their opponent shoot 43.4% from the field on 36 of 83 shooting. They also doled out 20 assists for the matchup while forcing 14 turnovers and earning 8 steals. In regard to pulling down boards, they compiled 57 with 24 of them being on the offensive end. At the free throw line, the Rockets knocked down 20 of 29 attempts for a percentage of 69.0%. Houston wrapped up the game with a 37.4% FG percentage (37 of 99) and converted 8 of their 36 three-point shots.

Kevin Durant is one guy who came through for the game. He notched 37 points on 14 of 26 shooting. He played 37 mins and also snagged 4 rebounds. Durant ended up shooting 53.8% from the floor but finished the game without a dime.

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Houston heads into this game with a mark of 22-12 on the season. They are averaging 118.9 pts per contest (9th in the league) while shooting 48.5% from the floor. The Rockets are shooting 38.2% on shots from downtown (399 of 1,045) and 77.5% from the charity stripe. As a team, Houston is grabbing 49.1 rebounds per contest and is sitting with 861 assists on the year, which has them ranked 28th in the league in terms of passing. They lose possession by turning the ball over 16.0 times per game and as a unit are committing 19.8 personal fouls every game.

On defense, the Rockets have forced 13.8 turnovers per game while drawing 21.2 fouls. They are conceding 35.5% on shots from beyond the perimeter while they are 3rd in the NBA in opponents PPG (110.7). The Rockets are giving up an opponent FG percentage of 46.3% (1,377 of 2,972) and they relinquish 37.6 boards per game as a unit. They are ranked 1st in the league in giving up assists to their opponents with 819 surrendered on the season.

The last time they took the court, the Trail Blazers went home victorious with a score of 103-102 against the Rockets. Concerning cleaning up the glass, Portland permitted Houston to pull down 57 overall (24 on the offensive side). They went 22.2% from downtown by going 8 of 36 and finished the game at 20 out of 29 from the charity stripe (69.0%). The Trail Blazers allowed the Rockets to bury 37 of 99 tries from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 37.4% for the game. When the final whistle blew, the Trail Blazers shot 36 out of 83 from the floor which gave them a rate of 43.4%. When talking about 3-point attempts, Portland converted 12 of 40 tries (30.0%). They were able to knock down 19 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 76.0%. The Rockets earned 26 fouls in this contest which got the Trail Blazers to the free throw line for 25 shots. They also turned the ball over 14 times, while earning 7 steals for this game. The Trail Blazers were able to snag 32 defensive boards and 6 offensive rebounds for a total of 38 for the matchup.

Deni Avdija pitched in for the Trail Blazers in the game. Avdija scored 41 points in his 39 mins on the hardwood and had 2 assists in this game. He knocked down 13 out of 24 for the matchup for a field goal percentage of 54.2%, and earned 6 rebounds.

Portland has a win-loss record of 18-20 for the year. When it comes to offense, the Trail Blazers are shooting 44.8% from the floor, which ranks them 29th in the NBA. Portland has scored 4,427 points on the season (116.5 per game) and they grab 45.4 rebounds per game. They are getting an assist 24.7 times per game (27th in the NBA) and they cough up possession 16.9 times per contest. The Trail Blazers commit 21.9 fouls every game and they go 77.5% from the free throw line.

The Portland defense allows 35.4% on shots from 3-point land (468 of 1,323) and their opposition knocks down 80.4% of their shots from the charity stripe. They give up 26.7 assists and 44.1 rebounds per game, which has them ranked 17th and 15th in basketball. The Trail Blazers on the defensive side of the court are 23rd in the NBA in PPG given up with 119.1. They have forced 15.3 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 47.2% from the floor (20th in basketball).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Houston

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