Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Houston Rockets Picks and Prediction for Saturday, December 27, 2025
Use Code WWWC Cleveland Cavaliers (17-15) vs. Houston Rockets (18-10)
The 2025-26 NBA season continues Saturday, December 27, with the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the Houston Rockets in the cross-conference battle at Toyota Center in Houston, TX, and we’ve got you covered with our Cavaliers vs. Rockets prediction.
Cleveland and Houston close down their two-game regular-season series. The Rockets beat the Cavaliers 114-104 as slight 1.5-point road favorites on November 19, and the game went under the 233.5-point line.
Now, Houston is looking for its fifth consecutive SU and ATS victory over Cleveland. Read more about this Cavaliers vs. Rockets prediction, and check out all our NBA picks for Saturday’s card. The tip-off at Toyota Center is set at 8:00 PM ET.
The Cavaliers blew a huge lead in New York
The Cleveland Cavaliers (17-15; 10-22 ATS; 16-16 O/U) started a three-game road trip on Christmas Day. After consecutive home wins over the Charlotte Hornets 139-132 and the New Orleans Pelicans 141-118, the Cavs suffered a 126-124 defeat at the New York Knicks.
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Cleveland blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Cavs allowed a staggering 42 points in the final 12 minutes, and the Knicks went 21-for-44 from downtown on the afternoon. Cleveland shot 52.3% from the field (15-for-34 from deep).
Donovan Mitchell tortured the Knicks for 34 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Mitchell has been unstoppable this season, averaging 30.7 points and 5.4 assists. Evan Mobley tallies 18.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, and Darius Garland adds 17.3 points and 7.1 assists a night.
The Cavaliers score 117.7 points per 100 possessions (tied for 8th in the NBA) and allow 115.4 points in return (16th). They are fourth in the league in 3-point rate (.471) and 19th in 3-point percentage (35.1%).
The Rockets dominated the Lakers on Christmas Day
The Houston Rockets (18-10; 16-12 ATS; 17-11 O/U) snapped their two-game skid last Thursday. After losing against the Sacramento Kings 125-124 in overtime and the LA Clippers 128-108, the Rockets finished their six-game road trip with a 119-96 thrashing of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Rockets outrebounded the Lakers 48-25 while scoring 68 points in the paint. Houston allowed just 11 free throws to the Lakers, who lead the league in free-throw rate. The Rockets went 15-for-19 from the foul line and 8-for-24 from beyond the arc.
Amen Thompson led the way for the Rockets on Christmas Day, notching 26 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Thompson tallies 17.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Kevin Durant is the team’s leading scorer with 25.2 points per game, while Alperen Sengun averages 23.0 points, 9.3 boards, and 6.9 assists.
The Rockets score 122.6 points per 100 possessions (2nd in the NBA) and surrender 114.1 points in return (10th). They rank 30th in the league in 3-point rate (.331) and second in 3-point percentage (39.8%).
Cavaliers vs. Rockets Pick
Spread Pick for Cavaliers vs. Rockets
- Houston Rockets (4 units)
The Rockets have struggled lately, going 3-5 SU and 2-6 ATS in their last eight games overall. Their six-game road trip was rough, especially for the Rockets’ defense, so that 119-96 victory over the Lakers is certainly a great sign for Houston’s backers.
I expect the Rockets to beat the Cavaliers and cover the spread. Houston has weapons to deal with Donovan Mitchell, while the Cavaliers’ defense will have a mountain to climb in this matchup.
Cleveland has struggled to defend the 3-point line thus far. As I noted, the Rockets are dead last in the NBA in 3-point rate, but their 3-point percentage is elite.
In their first meeting of the season, Houston outrebounded Cleveland 51-39 while going 9-for-24 from deep. The Cavaliers made just 12 of their 39 shots from deep, trailing the Rockets by as many as 22 points.
Over/Under Pick for Cavaliers vs. Rockets
- Over (4 units)
The Rockets play at the second-slowest pace in the NBA, notching just 96.1 possessions per 48 minutes, but their offensive execution has been lethal for most of the season. On the other side, the Cavaliers love to play at a fast pace (101.4, 7th in the NBA), and they will try everything they can to speed things up in this matchup.
The Cavs will continue to lean on 3-pointers. The over is 4-1 in their last five games overall and 7-2 in their previous nine outings on the road. Six of the Rockets’ last eight contests have gone over, too, so I would ride the betting trends.
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