Houston Rockets NBA Season Win Total Pushed to 52.5, up From 51.5

• The Houston Rockets won 53 games last season
• The Rockets traded for Russell Westbrook while keeping their core intact
• The Rockets are a good bet to go over 52.5 wins next season

The Houston Rockets regular season win total opened up at 51.5 but the early money has been on the over. Their NBA win total is now up to 52.5, so the question is if it’s still wise to bet the over at this number or is the smarter play to go under the higher figure?

2019-20 Houston Rockets Win Total Odds

*Odds taken 7/25/19

Bettors Are Bullish on Houston

The early action on the Rockets has been on the over and it mostly makes sense. The team that won 53 games last season swapped out an aging Chris Paul for an MVP-caliber player in Russell Westbrook, and was then hit with a win total lower than what they finished with last season.

Also keep in mind that the Rockets were terrible to start last season as they were merely 11-14 in their first 25 games. They finished the year on a 42-15 tear.

Had the Rockets not managed to change the chemistry of the team – especially with Paul wanting out and reports of friction between him and James Harden – I’d be down on this team. But they gave themselves a big shot in the arm. This over/under simply opened too low.

Rockets Round Out Roster

The Rockets made a big splash with Westbrook but they did a fantastic job both keeping the core intact and rounding out the roster. To start, they managed to keep P.J. Tucker, Eric Gordon and Clint Capela.

Then they brought back Gerald Green, Danuel House Jr. and Austin Rivers. They even took a flier on former No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett and picked up Tyson Chandler.

There are going to be all sorts of question marks as to whether Harden and Westbrook can coexist but outside of that, the roster is quite loaded. The starting lineup is quite clear and now you have Gordon, Rivers, Green and Chandler off the bench. On paper, this team is as good as anyone.

West Is Top-Heavy, Southwest Division Is Weak

There’s a bit of a misconception that the Western Conference is extremely strong. Don’t get me wrong: it’s very good but the conference was already good. There’s Denver, Portland, the two Los Angeles teams, Utah and Houston. Those should all be 50-win teams. But remember that there already were eight teams with 48 wins or more.

It’s definitely a gauntlet but Houston is in a division with the San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks. All things considered, that’s not too bad.

Over Is Still The Best Bet

The number still feels too low for the Rockets. Westbrook and Harden might have issues come playoff time but this team is going to run-and-gun in the regular season under head coach Mike D’Antoni and they’re going shred a lot of defenses.

This team won 53 games last year but upgraded from Paul to Westbrook, kept the core intact and added Tyson Chandler for depth. I can’t see them winning less games than last season. I would bet this over as long as it stays under 53.