Houston Rockets vs. Washington Wizards Picks and Prediction for Sunday, November 15, 2026
The Rockets are heading to Washington on Sunday, playing in the nation's capital at Capital One Arena at 7 PM Eastern against the Washington Wizards. The Rockets have actually been playing decent recently, as they won their last three games, with those wins coming against Denver, Golden State, and Utah. Washington, though, is coming off of a double-overtime loss to Detroit, and the Wizards have had issues getting consistent wins on the season so far. Be ready for all the action on Sunday with our free NBA picks.
Houston Rockets Have Been Getting It Done on Both Ends
Houston is coming in with a 10-3 record overall. However, on the road, they have won three games and have only lost two. The Rockets on Friday night were able to take down the Utah Jazz by a score of 125-118, and that comes after knocking off the Golden State Warriors by a score of 115-108 on Wednesday. The Rockets have actually ended up playing decent the last 10 games, even as they have won seven of the last 10, and they've been finding different ways to get the scoring done and to keep the opponents out of the net. The Utah game was actually one that showcased the Rockets' defense, as they were able to make the plays down the stretch to keep the Jazz from evening up or even taking a lead. One other game that the Rockets have played earlier this week was against the Denver Nuggets, and that was a game that ended by a score of 110-100.
The Rockets are coming in with an offense that is putting up 116.2 points per game, and their defense has not been horrible, while they've only been giving up 107.4 points per game. That is an 8.8-point difference, which is a decent mark in the NBA this season and one that helps explain why the Rockets have won so many games. With that type of defense, it also showcases that the Rockets do not need to rely heavily on their offense to do the scoring, as the defense is able to keep the opponent in check for the most part, and that should be a good thing coming in to face the Washington Wizards team.
Alperen ΕengΓΌn has been one of the major parts of the Houston offense this season. He is coming in with 21 points per game, 9.4 rebounds, and almost eight assists per game at 7.9. In the game against Utah on Friday, he carried the Rockets' offense. He managed to drain 43 points total in the game, and that is coming off of the fact that the Jazz were not able to keep him from scoring from the inside. When he does have issues, he's able to kick the ball out to the likes of Kevin Durant and some of the other players, which has helped the Rockets get more balls going around without having to rely on a single player. And one aspect that the Rockets do have is Steven Adams and Clint Capela have also been dealing with injuries, and while they have been mentioned as potential returns for this game, both are still listed as out. Marcus Smart is also unavailable because of a suspension, so I'm not gonna count on those players being available when making my picks.
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Washington Wizards Giving Up Too Many Points
The Wizards are giving up too many points. Such is the basis: when you lose, you lose, and that's what the Wizards have done this season. The Wizards are actually coming in with a 4-9 record overall and have only posted a 2-3 record at home. The last game on the court prior to any play on Saturday, the Wizards lost in double overtime to the Detroit Pistons by a score of 144-140. That is a very frustrating mark, as if you score 140 points, you expect to get the win, but the Wizards were unable to close out the game on defense, and that is what cost them. What makes it even worse is the Wizards lost to Detroit also earlier in the week on Monday night by a score of 122-111, and on Wednesday, the Wizards forgot where the court was again as they lost to the Pacers by a score of 114-101.
The offense for the Wizards isn't horrible. It's not the best with only 110 points per game, but it's not that bad. If the defense could actually show up and stop giving up 115.8 points per game on average, the Wizards might actually look like a decent team. The problem is the defensive effort for the Wizards has been lacking all season, and that explains why a lot of losses have happened. In fact, that type of defense is showing good in fact for the game here, as the Rockets are a team that can score if they have to and have shown that they are capable of doing that.
The Wizards have ended up relying on Anthony Davis to be their most productive scorer this season, which could be dangerous, as he is averaging a double-double with 25.6 points per game and 10.5 rebounds. But if the Rockets are able to shut him down, the Wizards do not have much depth past that. Now, on the passing side, Trae Young has actually done decent, as he's getting 8.8 assists per game, and he does create quite a bit of shots for his teammates. But even then, you can only rely on two players to carry a team for so long. The Wizards also have some injury issues, as Jamir Watkins, Justin Champagnie, Tristan VukΔeviΔ, and Reece Beekman are all listed as out, while Bub Carrington is dealing with a chest injury and is day-to-day.
Houston Rockets vs. Washington Wizards Picks and Prediction
Moneyline β Houston Rockets
The Rockets are the team I'm going to back here. They've just been really good this year. They're coming off three straight wins. The Rockets are also only giving up 107.4 points per game, and with the Wizards' inconsistency on the offensive side lately, or when they are scoring, the defense is just outright horrible. I'm gonna look at the Rockets to take home the win in this game, and it's gonna be an easy win for the Rockets. Yeah, they'll have to work for it, but I don't see this game being close towards the end of the game.
Over/Under β Over 224.5 Points
This is a game that I think both of the offenses are gonna show up. The Rockets are putting up 116.2 points per game. The Wizards are giving up 115 points per game. That's a 1.2-point margin to the good for the Rockets, but even then, I think the Rockets are gonna score more than that. I mean, look what the Wizards just allowed the Pistons to score: 144 points. And granted, I do not see the Wizards putting up 140 points against this Rockets defense, but I do foresee the Wizards playing well enough to score points to get this game to the over.
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