Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction & Preview - 1/9/2026
Updated January 9, 2026
Updated January 9, 2026
The Houston Rockets will go to Moda Center in Portland on Friday for a rematch with the Trail Blazers after dropping a dramatic 103–102 decision in their previous meeting. That late-night thriller saw Deni Avdija drop 41 points to lead Portland while Kevin Durant poured in 37 for Houston. Both of those players will try to lead their team to a victory heading into the weekend. Before tip-off from the Pacific Northwest, continue reading to find my Rockets vs Trail Blazers prediction.
Pick: | Rockets +6.5 |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
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The Rockets (22–12) enter as favorites despite an emotional loss in their last meeting, where defensive lapses and poor shooting doomed their effort, as a buzzer-beating tip-in came just after the final buzzer for Houston. Kevin Durant continues his stellar scoring run, approaching another historic milestone and delivering consistent high-level output. Meanwhile, Houston remains without Alperen Şengün, whose ankle injury continues to sideline him, though he may return soon. Fred VanVleet remains out for the season, giving additional playmaking responsibilities to Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson.
The Trail Blazers have won four games in a row coming into this contest, including their win over the Rockets on Wednesday. Portland has a lengthy list of absences, with Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Jerami Grant, Matisse Thybulle, Blake Wesley, and Kris Murray all ruled out. Jrue Holiday is listed as questionable as well, meaning the Blazers’ backcourt could be thin again. But the Trail Blazers have been getting by thanks to the high-level play of Deni Avdija, who will look to go off again in this matchup.
Player | Prop |
|---|---|
Kevin Durant | Over 28.5 Points |
Deni Avdija | Over 25.5 Points |
Amen Thompson | Over 7.5 Rebounds |
Shaedon Sharpe | Over 19.5 Points |
Score Projection: Rockets 118 – Trail Blazers 116
Win Probability: Rockets 65%, Trail Blazers 35%
I am taking the points with the Trail Blazers again in this contest. Houston is banged up heading into this matchup and should struggle to contain the surprisingly good offense of the Blazers for a second straight game. Expect another tight affair between Houston and Portland here, regardless of which team ends up on top when the final buzzer sounds.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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