Los Angeles Clippers vs. Houston Rockets Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 2/27/2022

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, TX

Where to watch: ATTSN-RM, BSSC

DraftKings: Check back later

BetMGM: Check back later

Caesars: Check back later

Clippers: 31-31

Rockets: 15-44

Look we're in the final quarter of the NBA season and there are just moments where you watch basketball games and you think to yourself if we could just one by one, eliminate teams from having to watch them again, I think that would be a pretty great trade off.

And look I know that trying to get rid of the Houston Rockets when they're in the midst of a rebuild is probably not the best idea but sometimes you just got to do it. Sometimes you've just got to bite the bullet and realize that there is no way in the world I want to watch the Rockets for the final 20 games of this season 22 games however many it is. But we must truck on with these bad teams with the Rockets taking on the Los Angeles Clippers in a rematch from before the All-Star break.

Houston, coming in at 15- 44 on the season, is just here for the development factor and trying to get better. And I don't think that's a bad thing, but when you're trying to analyze which teams you actually want to separate from the pack and which teams you actually want to bet on going forward nine times out of 10 it is not going to be The Rockets.

That could be just me, or I can look at the byproduct of the Rockets losing by 8 to the Orlando Magic the other night and just simply sit here and ponder why in the world things are the way that they are.

In a battle between two of the worst teams in the league, Orlando proved is not the absolute worst. Jalen green did have 23 points to lead Houston, and Christian wood had 21 points and 11 rebounds but as young teams tend to do, they don't know how to play defense. And for some reason letting seven players on Orlando score in double figures seemed like a good idea for this Houston team but does not know how to play defense. The Rockets gave up 51% shooting to Orlando, allowed 13 of 36 from 3 point range, and were outrebounded 54- 41 in this game.

You can't watch this game and tell me that you actually want to watch the Rockets play basketball no matter how much young talent they tend to have on that team. Poor Dennis Schroder gets traded to Houston and all of a sudden he's just dying inside because he doesn't want to deal with this.

Meanwhile, here come the Clippers licking their chops ready to take on the Rockets again after just defeating them by 31 points before the All-Star break. Sure, I'm sure the Clippers want to get another victory under their belt so they don't have to tread water at 500 for the rest of the season, but good Lord even Los Angeles is looking at this having some sort of pity on Houston's inability to play defense.

But the Clippers have won four out of their last five and are coming off a 105- 102 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday for their sixth straight win in the rivalry. Seven players scored in double figures for Los Angeles, something that LeBron James desperately wants himself for his own Los Angeles team, led by Terence Mann’s 19 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, the Clippers held the Lakers to 41.9% shooting, held LeBron to just six of 18 from the field and somehow let Russell Westbrook shoot better than LeBron. I don't know if this has any more to do with the Lakers or the Clippers, but it's all just one giant comedy show.

The Clippers are still hovering around for a playoff spot in the Western Conference and at this rate given the fact that they are without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, they might actually do it. Whether their two superstars return for the playoffs or not remains to be seen but I wouldn't put it past them given the timetable and everything of the such.

Do not overthink this one period this game will end up being a afternoon nap for you. The Clippers are obviously the better team, the Rockets don't play defense, and the Clippers are gonna have more guys score the basketball more than Houston will in terms of its young guys. I do you not want you to overthink this. If the line is too long, probably stay away from it, otherwise go ahead and put all your life savings on the Clippers because they are going to win on the money line and everybody will party in Los Angeles on a Sunday. Clippers by 30

The Clippers are 3-11 ATS when playing their second game in five days.

The Clippers are 38-65 after covering the spread in at least four straight games.

The Rockets are 31-62 ATS at home the past three seasons.

PG: Reggie Jackson

SG: Terance Mann

SF: Marcus Morris Sr.

PF: Nicolas Batum

C: Ivica Zubac

PG: Dennis Schroder

SG: Jalen Green

SF: Eric Gordon

PF: Jae'Sean Tate

C: Christian Wood

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard (out), Paul George (out)

Rockets: None

Points: Reggie Jackson -- 16.6

Rebounds: Ivica Zubac -- 8.0

Assists: Reggie Jackson -- 4.4

Points: Christian Wood -- 17.6

Rebounds: Christian Wood -- 10.2

Assists: Jae'Sean Tate -- 3.1