Houston Rockets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction and Betting Tips | Jan. 25, 2025

The Houston Rockets will meet the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time in three days, this time at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Arena in Ohio. Saturday's encounter promises to be a fascinating matchup between two of the NBA's top teams.

The Cavs (36-8) go into the game tied for the best record in the NBA alongside the OKC Thunder. Meanwhile, the Rockets (29-14) continue to exceed expectations. Ime Udoka's team has the second-best record in the Western Conference and will be looking to make up ground on the first-place Thunder.

Houston Rockets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction and Betting Tips

The Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Houston Rockets with the game set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. EST (4:30 p.m. PST). The game will be available to watch locally on SCHN and FDSOH. Fans looking to stream the game can also catch the action on NBA League Pass and fuboTV.

Moneyline: Rockets (+140), Cavaliers (-165)

Spread: Rockets +3.5 (-110), Cavaliers -3.5 (-110)

Total (Over/Under): Over 226.5 (-115), Under 226.5 (-105)

Note: All odds are subject to change closer to tip-off. The listed odds are based on information available at the time of writing.

Houston Rockets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Preview

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet at Toyota Center. Photo Credit: Imagn

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets have already played once this season with the game taking place at the Toyota Center on Wednesday. A 26-point outing from Fred VanVleet helped guide the Rockets to a slender 109-108 victory.

The Houston Rockets have been one of the surprise stories of the 2024-25 campaign. There was plenty of young talent on the roster going into the season, but few expected the lineup to gel the way they have. The Rockets have the fourth-best record in the NBA, and boast one of the stingiest defenses in the league, allowing just 107.8 points per game.

Houston started 2025 with a 6-1 record but has stumbled of late. They have lost two of their last four games and will now face a tricky run of games that includes the Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies.

Over their last 10 games, the Rockets have a 7-3 record and the team has a 14-6 overall record on the road.

Shooting guard Jalen Green leads the Rockets roster with 21.3 ppg. Alperen Sengun is leading the team with 10.5 rpg and point guard Fred VanVleet heads the assists column with 5.9 apg.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently on a two-game losing streak after suffering consecutive defeats to the Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers. It is only the second time this season that they have suffered back-to-back losses.

Cleveland remains the team to beat in the East. Their 36-8 record places them 5.5 games ahead of the Celtics, and 7.5 games ahead of the New York Knicks. Head coach Kenny Atkinson's team has a remarkable 21-2 record at home. They have won six of their last 10 games.

A dynamic offense has been the key for the Cavaliers this season, with the team averaging 121.8 ppg. Only the Grizzlies are currently average more. Six different Cleveland players are averaging double-digit figures in the points category. Donovan Mitchell leads the way with 23.5 ppg, followed by Darius Garland with 21.3 ppg. Center Jarret Allen leads the roster in rebounds with 10.0 per contest.

Houston Rockets vs Cleveland Cavaliers betting tips

Turkish center Alperen Sengun has been one of the standout players for the Houston Rockets this season. The fourth-year big man is coming off a solid outing against the Cavs where he finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Sengun is averaging 10.5 rpg this season. Over his last five starts, he is averaging 10.6 rpg. Sengun rebound total is set at 9.5 and expect him to go over that number.

Donovan Mitchell remains the main threat for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The talented guard has led the Cavs in scoring in three of the last four games and scored 33 or more points in those three games. Mitchell's point total is set at 24.5 and he should be able to go over that total considering his strong performances over the last week.

Houston Rockets vs Cleveland Cavaliers prediction

This promises to be a fascinating game with one of the league's best offensive teams taking on one of the best defensive teams. The Rockets were able to edge the previous contest by one point but a boisterous home crowd should be a factor on Saturday night. The Cavaliers will be looking to break their two-game losing streak and should be able to win this game but more than 3.5 points.