The Toronto Raptors will look to post back-to-back victories for the first time in a month when they visit a familiar face, Fred VanVleet, and the Houston Rockets on Friday night at Toyota Center.
Toronto is coming off a 118-107 come-from-behind victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. The shorthanded squad, which played without starters RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Jakob Poeltl due to injuries, snapped a five-game losing streak with the win.
Bet on Raptors vs. Rockets
TOR +5
HOU -5
Houston, meanwhile, is coming off a 110-99 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday to drop back to a season-worst three games below .500. The team has just three wins in its last 10 games.
Let’s dive into the odds via bet365 for this matchup:
Raptors vs. Rockets odds
| Raptors Moneyline Odds | +165 |
| Rockets Moneyline Odds | -200 |
| Over/Under | 230 points (over -110, under -110) |
| Spread | Rockets -5 (-110) |
| Time/Date | Feb. 2, 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: SN1 Stream: NBA League Pass (How to watch the NBA in Canada?) |
All odds courtesy of 
About the Raptors (17-30 SU, 23-24 ATS, 24-23 o/u)
The banged-up Raptors are 1-1 on their season-long trying six-game road trip and will have stops in Oklahoma City, New Orleans, and Charlotte after Friday’s tilt with the Rockets.
Gary Trent Jr. scored a team-high 24 points and buried six three-pointers in Tuesday’s win over Chicago. He went off for 13 points in the first quarter and 16 total in the first half. He’s been smoking hot from long range recently, shooting 38-for-75 (50.7%) in January.
Thaddeus Young has filled in admirably for Poeltl as the team’s starting centre, scoring a season-high 16 points on Tuesday to go along with six rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes. He’s scored in double digits in three of his last four games while shooting an efficient 70% from the floor.
Bruce Brown, who was recently acquired from the Indiana Pacers as part of the Pascal Siakam deal, also enjoyed a breakout game Tuesday, scoring 19 points and securing three steals. He’s averaging 11.5 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 50% (28-for-56) in six games with the Raptors.
History is on the Raptors’ side in this one, as they’ve won four straight games against the Rockets.
About the Rockets (22-25 SU, 25-21-1 ATS, 22-25 o/u)
The big storyline coming into this one will be Van Vleet playing against his former team for the first time. VanVleet, who played his first seven seasons in Toronto and helped the team to an NBA championship in 2019, left the Raptors as a free agent this past summer, inking a lucrative three-year contract worth $128.5 million.
VanVleet is playing an instrumental role in Houston’s return to relevance after several miserable seasons, averaging a career-high 8.4 assists while logging 37 minutes per game this season. His scoring is down, though, as he’s transitioned to more of a playmaker role on the Rockets. He’s dropped less than 20 points in a season-high tying six straight games.
The Rockets are just 6-8 over their past 14 home games after winning 11 straight at Toyota Center prior.
Under 230 points
-110
Injury concerns
Barrett (knee), Quickley (quad), and Poeltl (ankle) are all questionable for the Raptors. Jontay Porter (back) is doubtful.
Alperen Sengun (illness) is questionable for the Rockets.
Betting trends
- The under is 6-1 in Toronto’s last seven games.
- The Rockets are 3-1 ATS in their last four games.
- Houston is 12-4 straight-up when listed as a favourite this year.
- Toronto is 8-22 straight-up as a moneyline underdog this season.
Player prop trends
- Jalen Green is scoring in bunches lately, averaging a whopping 29.8 points per game over his last five contests. His scoring props aren’t currently available at bet365, but his over/under has been set at 22.5 points recently. Check back later and consider the over if his line is around 22.5.
- The over on Sengun’s steals + blocks line of 1.5 has hit at a 65% rate over his last 20 games and he’s cleared that number in his last two contests. If he’s not out with an illness, he could be worth a look in this category.
Wagers to consider
- This is a tough game to handicap until we find out the statuses of Barrett, Quickley, Poeltl, and Sengun. All four of these starters could have a dramatic impact on this matchup. As a result of so many questionable tags, player props are off the board at bet365 as of Friday morning. If you believe in a classic revenge spot, take a look at the overs on VanVleet’s points and assists lines once they’re available.
