Two Western Conference teams vying for the No. 2 seed and homecourt advantage in the 2025 NBA playoffs will clash on Sunday as the Houston Rockets host the Denver Nuggets. The Rockets boast a 46-25 record (26-10 at home) and currently hold the No. 2 seed in the West. The Nuggets are close behind at 44-27 (21-16 on the road) as the No. 3 seed, two games behind Houston. Nuggets star player Nikola Jokic is sidelined with an ankle injury.
The game is set to tip off at 7 p.m. ET at the Toyota Center in Houston. The Rockets are favored by 7.5 points according to SportsLine Consensus odds. The over/under for total points is 224.5. Houston`s money line is -276, while the Nuggets are +224.
For those interested in building a same-game parlay for this Nuggets-Rockets matchup, the SportsLine Projection Model offers insights. This model, known for its accuracy in NBA predictions, has simulated the game 10,000 times and provides player projections. Here are the model`s top three NBA picks for a same-game parlay on Sunday.
Rockets -7 (-108 at FanDuel)
Nikola Jokic`s absence is a significant blow to the Nuggets` offense. He leads the team in points, rebounds, and assists, averaging a triple-double. Denver is 1-2 in their last three games without Jokic, losing the last two by double digits. Their overall record without him this season is 3-6, with five of those losses being by 12 points or more. In contrast, the Rockets are on a nine-game winning streak, currently the longest in the NBA. The SportsLine model predicts the Rockets will cover the spread in over 60% of simulations. While some sportsbooks have moved the line to 7.5 points, FanDuel Sportsbook still offers Houston at -7 with -108 odds.
Fred VanVleet Over 3.5 total rebounds (+122 at FanDuel)
VanVleet has exceeded his rebounding prop in four of the past five games, consistently grabbing at least four rebounds. He`s averaging 4.8 rebounds in his last five games. With Jokic`s 12.8 rebounds per game absent, there will be more rebounds available for both teams. VanVleet averages 4.0 rebounds this season. Recently, the Rockets allowed six rebounds to Portland`s Shaedon Sharpe and five to the Lakers` Austin Reaves, guards with similar rebounding averages to VanVleet.
Tari Eason Under 17.5 points + rebounds (-110 at FanDuel)
Rockets forward Tari Eason stayed under this combined total in the recent game against the Heat, scoring eight points and seven assists. He has struggled against top-tier teams this season, going under his points + rebounds prop in seven of his last 10 games against winning teams, averaging 16.4 combined points and rebounds in those games. With Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson expected to play, Eason might see fewer offensive opportunities.
Same-Game Parlay odds: +606
Looking for more NBA picks?
These are top same-game parlay picks for the Rockets vs. Nuggets game. For NBA picks for every game, check out SportsLine`s proven model, which has a strong track record in NBA predictions.
Jasper Hawthorne