The Houston Rockets are officially out of their rebuild. For three seasons, they were one of the worst teams in the Western Conference. Now, behind the leadership of coach Ime Udoka, the Rockets are coming off a 41-41 record with bigger dreams for this season. Our 2024-25 NBA season betting preview will look at the Rockets odds and see if taking their win total is worth your best NBA bet today.
2024-25 NBA Betting Preview: Houston Rockets Win Total Odds
*All Rockets odds are courtesy of FanDuel.com*
Ime to the Rescue
The Rockets got a kick in the butt last season from coach Ime Udoka. The young head coach completely threw away the previous three seasons of lackluster results and helped the Rockets win 19 more games than the previous season, going 41-41. The Rockets projected win total before the season was 31.5 games, a line they surpassed in Game 67.
Sengun's highlights vs Wemby last night!
45 PTS | 16 REB | 5 STL | 2 3PT pic.twitter.com/kHcpzITIDg
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 6, 2024
Udoka changed two major things about the Rockets last season. He helped them become a defensive-minded squad, going from one of the worst defenses in the league to the 10th-best one last season. He also empowered Alperen Sengun to take control of the offense, using his size and exceptional passing to help unlock the Rockets’ offense.
Sengun averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists for the Rockets last season. He, along with the addition of veteran point guard Fred VanVleet and scoring spark of Jalen Green, helped give the Rockets offense new legs. Rookie lottery pick Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks were the defensive standouts for the Rockets. They both brought an athleticism and toughness that Udoka is known to reward.
Check out this absolute BEAUTY of a set from Ime Udoka to open the game. The Jazz get a bit lost after an abundance of screens and Fred VanVleet ultimately frees himself up by screening for Amen Thompson.
Don’t miss Alperen Sengun directing traffic from the low block. pic.twitter.com/RdvXVgSVJU
— Hot Hand Theory (@HotHandTheory) October 8, 2024
Running Things Back
The Rockets front office decided this offseason that they wanted to see what this team can continue to do. They made minimal offseason moves, relying on the growth of their young core to propel them forward. Sengun and Green had the best seasons of their career last season and are still quite young. Both of them could make significant developments to their game.
Even younger, Thompson, who was an NBA All-Rookie Second Team honoree, could also take a big leap. Another young star with potential is Reed Sheppard. The Rockets drafted Sheppard with the number three pick in the 2024 draft. Sheppard proved at the University of Kentucky that he is a great shooter, but his size and strength may be an issue in the NBA.
Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore force the turnover and Jalen Green gets the and-1 on the other end! pic.twitter.com/8qPRshjdeE
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) October 8, 2024
Houston Rockets Odds
The Rockets’ win total projection for next season is set at 43.5. The over is -108, and the under is -112. The Rockets only won 41 games last season, so going over this line would require three more wins. With a young roster that has already shown growth, three more wins seem like an easy feat.
That being said, the Western Conference has gotten more competitive this offseason. There are only two teams that will likely be tanking, making plenty of room for a team like the Rockets to pivot directions if they don’t get off to the hot start they did last year. Expect the Rockets to be competitive next season, but winning 44 games in the West may be difficult.
