Rockets vs. Trail Blazers Prediction, Odds, Players to Watch for NBA Summer League

The Rockets are underdogs on Thursday.

The Houston Rockets and center N'Faly Dante are underdogs on Thursday. / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets have yet to win a game in Summer League, and they’ll take on the 2-1 Portland Trail Blazers and rookie center Yang Hansen on Thursday night.

Portland is coming off a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, as Rayan Rupert led the way with 24 points and has been a solid performer for Portland this summer.

The Rockets, who traded the 10th pick in the draft in a deal for Kevin Durant this offseason, have already shut down their 2024 first-round pick Reed Sheppard for the rest of Summer League.

So, the Rockets could be in for some rough games on offense to close the summer without their leading scorer and best players.

Let’s dive into the odds, players to watch and my prediction for Thursday’s Summer League matchup. 

Rockets vs. Trail Blazers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Rockets +4.5 (-110)
• Trail Blazers -4.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Rockets: +164
• Trail Blazers: -198

Total

• 185.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Rockets vs. Trail Blazers How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, July 17
• Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Cox Pavilion
• How to Watch (TV): NBA TV/ESPN+
• Rockets record: 0-3
• Trail Blazers record: 2-1 

Rockets vs. Trail Blazers Key Players to Watch

Houston Rockets

• Adonis Arms

With Sheppard out against Atlanta, Arms led the way for Houston with 24 points.

He’s only appeared in two games this summer, but Arms is averaging 18.0 points per game while shooting over 47 percent from the field. The Rockets don’t have a ton of players with a lot of NBA experience, so Arms could be an option to step up on Thursday against Portland. 

Portland Trail Blazers

• Rayan Rupert

A second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Rupert has played well in Las Vegas, averaging 16.7 points while shooting 62.5 percent from the field and 70.0 percent from 3. He’s also chipped in 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per night.

Hansen has been the story of the summer for the Blazers because of his size and passing, but Rupert is showing that he may be too good for Summer League at this point in his career. 

Rockets vs. Trail Blazers Prediction and Pick

Note: Before betting on NBA Summer League, it’s important to know that rotations are fluid and predicting player performance is volatile. As an avid NBA bettor, I suggest only placing small wagers for fun on these games since they are often hard to predict.

Even with Reed Sheppard done for the summer, I think the Rockets are a little undervalued in this matchup against the Blazers.

Houston has kept multiple games within one possession in losses, forcing overtime on Monday against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Rockets aren’t going to have a go-to scoring option, but I think there is a path for them to keep this game close against the Blazers. 

Houston has lost to two teams that are undefeated this summer in the Los Angeles Clippers and the Hawks, and the Blazers are coming off a closely contested matchup in their win over the Pelicans.

While Portland does have a blowout win over Golden State under its belt, I’ll bet on this game being a close one as Houston attempts to avoid a winless Summer League appearance. 

Pick: Houston +4.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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