Heat Undefeated ATS to Open Season, +118 vs. Rockets Sunday Night

• Miami Heat undefeated ATS so far as they host the Houston Rockets
• Rockets 3-2 to start campaign, coming off loss to Brooklyn 
• Get the odds, our pick, and all the info you need to bet the game below

The Houston Rockets head to AmericanAirlines Arena on Sunday to face a red-hot Miami Heat team. It’s the first night of a back-to-back for Houston, who face the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. Checking the Rockets vs Heat odds, the Rockets have started the campaign 3-2, while the Heat boast the joint-second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 4-1.

Halfway through a four-game road trip, the Rockets are coming into this game off a defeat to the Brooklyn Nets and a 159-158 victory over the Washington Wizards. Miami faced the Atlanta Hawks in their last two, winning both games comfortably.

Houston Rockets vs Miami Heat Odds

*Odds taken Nov. 3.

What Could have Been for Butler

Jimmy Butler missed the start of the season, but Miami’s big off-season acquisition is back in action. Sunday sees him face a team who were very interested in him before he was traded to the Sixers during the summer. Butler wanted his own team, however, and he’s got that in Miami.

The four-time All-Star notched 21 points in his Heat debut. His second game was a quieter one offensively, as he scored just five points. Butler’s impact has been significant, though, with his defense as tenacious as ever. The former Chicago Bull has racked up nine steals in two games and registered three blocks in the Halloween win over the Hawks.

Jimmy Butler is the first player in Heat history to post a line of…

11 Assists
9 Rebounds
6 Steals
3 Blocks

And he's just the 5th player *on record* to post that line in NBA History.

per @bball_ref.

— Couper Moorhead (@CoupNBA) November 1, 2019

It was interesting to see Butler turn facilitator in game two. His 11 assists aren’t something you tend to associate with his skillset, but it shows his ability to influence a game even when he’s not scoring. In front of his new home crowd, Butler will be determined to put on a show on Sunday night. These are the games he thrives in.

Rockets Defense

After the Rockets’ loss to Brooklyn, Austin Rivers said “We’re not playing any defense,” as reported by CBS Sports. Rivers is right – Houston has the second-worst defensive rating in the NBA.

Perimeter players have thrived against the Rockets. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder both passed 20 points, Bradley Beal scored 46, Rui Hachimura hit 26. Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart combined for 58 points. The pattern was much the same in the loss to the Nets.

Opponents are hitting 43.2% of their threes against the Rockets, the worst mark in the league. The Heat have the third-best team three-point percentage in the NBA at 39.2%.

Kendrick Nunn, who has scored the most points ever in five games for an undrafted rookie, has been shooting over six threes per game and hitting just shy of 50%. Duncan Robinson is also shooting over 40% from beyond the arc, and Meyers Leonard is 7-for-11 from deep. The Heat have the shooters to take advantage of Houston’s greatest weakness.

Heat Favored to Win

The Heat’s offense was effective without Butler because of how they move the ball. Only five teams average more passes per game than Miami, which creates good looks on the perimeter for their shooters. Houston needs a major improvement from their perimeter defense to stand a chance of victory.

While Russell Westbrook and James Harden have posted some good numbers individually, this Heat defense will be their toughest test so far. Eric Gordon’s early season struggles – he owns a PER of 3.3 – have caused Mike D’Antoni more problems. The Bam Adebayo and Clint Capela matchup should be relatively even.

These are the games Miami need to win if they are to trouble Philadelphia and Milwaukee for the top two spots in the East. Their steely defense and efficient offense is hard to overlook here.

Pick: Miami Heat (+118)