Philadelphia 76ers vs Houston Rockets Prediction, Preview and Odds - 04/09/2026

Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Thursday, April 9, 2026

Venue:  Toyota Center, Houston, TX 

Where to Watch:  NBCSP, SCHN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  76ers +3.5, Rockets -3.5; Over/Under:  226.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  76ers +3.5, Rockets -3.5; Over/Under:  226.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  76ers +3.5, Rockets -3.5; Over/Under:  225.5 points

Philadelphia 76ers:  43-36 (4th place, Atlantic Division)

Houston Rockets:  50-29 (2nd place, Southwest Division)

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Philadelphia 76ers:  6-4 last 10

Houston Rockets:  8-2 last 10

The 76ers are entering this game with a 43-36 record overall this season and they are 21-18 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 2 game losing streak with losses coming against the Detroit Pistons and the San Antonio Spurs. Joel Embiid led the team in points in that game with 34 while Paul George was next on the team with 16 points. Tyrese Maxey led the team in assists in that game with 8 while Joel Embiid led the team in rebounds with 12. They were 38.2% from the field, 31.3% from 3-point range, and 82.8% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 116.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 116.5 PPG against them. The 76ers have an ATS record of 42-37 this season and their O/U record is 39-40.

The Rockets are entering this game with a 50-29 record overall this season and they are 28-10 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 7 game winning streak with wins coming against the Memphis Grizzlies, the New Orleans Pelicans, the New York Knicks, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Utah Jazz, the Golden State Warriors, and the Phoenix Suns. Kevin Durant led the team in points in that game with 24 while Amen Thompson was next on the team with 22 points. Amen Thompson led the team in assists in that game with 8 while Alperen Şengün led the team in rebounds with 14. They were 45% from the field, 36.8% from 3-point range, and 93.8% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 114.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 109.9 PPG against them. The Rockets have an ATS record of 34-45 this season and their O/U record is 37-41-1.

The current betting odds have the Rockets listed as a 3.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Rockets have looked good in their games this season with their 50-29 record overall which has them in the top half of the West. They have looked great on their home court too with their 28-10 home record this season. Meanwhile, the 76ers have looked good in their games this season with their 43-36 record overall which has them in the top half of the East. They have been a good road team too with their 21-18 road record this year. The 76ers have been really up and down all season as they have been dealing with a lot of key injuries all year. They have looked a lot better lately though as they have started to get healthier. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games and have been turning the corner, but now they are off a bad loss to the Spurs in their last one and they have lost 2 games in a row now. They have already clinched a spot in the play-in tournament, but they are right on the cusp of a top 6 playoff spot in the East, so they have a lot of pressure to win still as they are also fighting with the team below them in the standings too. They are in the middle of a tight race and that could get to them in this one since they don't have an easy opponent. The Rockets have been one of the best teams in the West all season and they are a true contender in the NBA too. They have been rolling in their games lately with a ton of momentum on their side too, going 8-2 in their last 10 games and winning 7 games in a row now. They have also looked a lot better on their home court all year and will be looking to stay hot going into the playoffs, still with a chance to improve their seeding in the West too. Even with the 76ers getting healthier, they don't have the talent that the Rockets have and the Rockets are playing on another level at the moment. The best way to place a bet here is on the Rockets to cover the spread in this game. 

76ers Rockets Prediction:  Our NBA Pick for Thursday, April 9, 2026 (8:00 pm ET start time) is Rockets 111  76ers 99.

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Philadelphia 76ers: 6-3 ATS against Southwest division opponents. 23-14 ATS in road games. 11-5 ATS off a road loss. 21-15 UNDER as an underdog. 6-2 UNDER on the road versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 3+ per game. 

Houston Rockets: 15-23 ATS in home games. 13-21 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points. 16-28 ATS when the total is 220 to 229.5. 9-2 UNDER as a home favorite of 6 points or less. 23-13 UNDER when playing against a team with a winning record.

Philadelphia 76ers:  C. Payne (PG) Out - Hamstring. J. Broome (PF) Out - Knee.

Houston Rockets:  S. Adams (C) Out For Season - Ankle. F. VanVleet (PG) Out For Season - ACL.

"Yeah, most of the most of the bad moments of the game came off transition. Either a missed shot or a turnover that just—I think they got most of their really good stuff in transition. I thought we did a really good job for the most part, half court defensively. A lot of guys that put their head down and kind of play physical driving, and our guys stood in there pretty well, but again, I think we came out and scored some buckets, got our defense set, and I think we turned one over, and then missed back to back 3s, and they just scored in transition on all of them." - Nick Nurse after his team’s loss against the Spurs in their game on Monday. 

“We turned it around pretty quickly. It shows we’ve got that will and that grit to get back in it. It shows we’ve grown in that area. To be down 21 and win by (14), it was a huge turnaround for a lot of reasons, but I don’t think anybody held their heads.” - Ime Udoka after his team’s win against the Suns in their game on Tuesday. 

PG Tyrese Maxey

SG VJ Edgecombe

SF Kelly Oubre Jr.

PF Paul George

C Joel Embiid

PG Amen Thompson

SG Reed Sheppard

SF Kevin Durant

PF Jabari Smith Jr.

C Alperen Sengun

PPG: Tyrese Maxey (28.4)

APG: Tyrese Maxey (6.7)

Reb/G: Andre Drummond (8.2)

PPG: Kevin Durant (25.8)

APG: Alperen Sengun (6.2)

Reb/G: Alperen Sengun (8.9)

Coaches:

Philadelphia 76ers: Nick Nurse (3rd season)

Houston Rockets: Ime Udoka (3rd season)