Cavaliers vs. Rockets Prediction and Odds for January 22: Eastern Conference Leaders Meet the West’s Second-Best

The Cleveland Cavaliers (36-6) are headed to take on the Houston Rockets (28-14) in a cross-conference matchup between two of the top teams in the league.

The Cavs are on pace to finish with the third-best record in NBA regular-season history. They beat the Phoenix Suns by 26 points their last time out and are 15-4 on the road, most recently beating the Minnesota Timberwolves by seven on Saturday.

The Rockets sit second and a half-game above the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference. They fell to the Detroit Pistons their last time on the court and are 14-7 in their building.

Here, we will preview the matchup and share our favorite Cavaliers vs. Rockets betting picks.

Cavaliers vs. Rockets Betting Odds for Wednesday, January 22

The Cavs are a league-best 29-13 (69.1 percent) against the spread, 26-12 (68.4 percent) ATS as a favorite, and 14-5 (73.7 percent) ATS on the road.

The Rockets are 24-17-1 (58.5 percent) ATS, 11-10 (52.4 percent) ATS at home, and 6-4-1 (60 percent) ATS as an underdog.

Odds for the Cavaliers vs. Rockets game are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Head over to BetMGM to place your bets and Get Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets*.

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Cavaliers vs. Rockets Prediction

Cleveland Cavaliers Preview

Anyone who’s followed our game previews throughout the season knows our thoughts about the Cavaliers. They are a team that is obsessed with perfect execution and that has brushed all egos aside in the name of collective success, resulting in them producing the best record in the league.

As we’ve said before, the Cavs don’t run revolutionary sets or have a particular calling-card style, like the Boston Celtics’ three-point barrage or the Oklahoma City Thunder’s drive-and-kick. Instead, they get the ball where it needs to go and constantly create advantages for themselves.

The Cavs lead the league in both two- and three-point percentage, which is a testament to their efficiency and ability to create good looks. They create mismatches, push the pace in transition, work hard off the ball, set screens, dive, and force switches whenever they can. 

The Cavs individuals are also playing very well. Donovan Mitchell takes the headlines with 23.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per night, but Darius Garland (21.1 points, 6.8 assists), Evan Mobely (18.6 points, 8.8 rebounds), and Jarrett Allen (14 points, 10 rebounds) have also been excellent.

That’s not to say that the other members of the rotation haven’t also been great, as the Cavs rank third in average point differential off the bench.

All in all, Cleveland leads the league in offensive and is ninth in defensive rating. Their +10.1 net rating is second only to the Thunder, and they turn the ball over at the third-lowest frequency. 

Houston allowed the fourth-fewest points per game, and the Cavs are 2-1 against the three teams ranked above them. They did not face the Los Angeles Clippers, beat the Orlando Magic by 11 points, and split with the Thunder, losing by 20 and winning by seven.

Houston Rockets Preview

This season has been a coming of age for the Rockets. They finally broke out of the clutches of irrelevance when Ime Udoka signed on last year, and they built upon that success with an ascension into the top level of challengers in the Western Conference.

Houston’s key principle is defense. They rank third in defensive rating but, rather impressively, are also 10th in offensive rating, boosting them to fifth in net rating (+6.1).

Like the Cavs, they don’t turn the ball over often (eighth in turnover frequency). They also lead the NBA in rebound rate and are eighth in three-point percentage (37.7) in 2025, which is a welcome sign since they are just 28gh (33.8) for the year as a whole. 

In stark contrast, the Cavs lead all teams at 39.6 percent from deep.

22-year-old Jalen Green has been a man on a mission as of late, averaging 28.7 points and 4.2 rebounds on 51.2 percent shooting from the field and 47.2 percent from three-point territory in January. His superstar performances inspired the Rockets to go 7-3 to start the New Year.

Houston is 6-3 against top-four teams in both conferences, and two of those losses came against the Thunder. They likely would have preferred to enter the matchup on the back of another win, but it’s possible they were caught looking ahead and have been anticipating the showdown with the Cavs for the better part of a week.

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Cavaliers vs. Rockets Betting Pick

• Cavaliers vs. Rockets pick: Cavaliers -1.5 (-115) at BetMGM 

It’s easy to write off the Rockets because they don’t have NBA MVP-level talent and were irrelevant for a few years, but they are a great team. Similarly, the Cavs are seen as a team that is overachieving because of its lack of historic talent, but we’re not halfway through the season, and they aren’t slowing down one bit.

The key matchup here is how Houston’s on-ball pressure will go over against the sharp ball movement of the Rockets. It’s worth noting that Donovan Mitchell scored just 11 and eight points in two games against the Thunder, who are similarly aggressive and suffocating on the perimeter.

Without discrediting the Rockets in the slightest, we’d still side with the Cavs, in part because Green just had his worst game of the month (19 points on 38.1 percent shooting), and he’ll likely need to be at an All-NBA level for the home team to have a real chance to win.

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How to Watch Cavaliers vs. Rockets on 1/22/25

• When: Wednesday, January 22 @ 7:00/8:00 p.m. CT/ET

• Where: Toyota Center (Houston), Houston, TX

• TV: NBA League Pass

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