Two of the top favorites to win the NBA Western Conference this season clash this Monday night when the Houston Rockets invade the Staples Center to face the Los Angeles Clippers. Tip off for this early-season showdown is set for 10:30 p.m. (ET), and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV.

The Rockets have gotten off to a fast start with straight up victories over Charlotte, Dallas and Utah, and they are 2-0-1 against the spread after covering in their last two games. The total has stayed “under” in two of the three games.

The Clippers started the 2013-14 campaign with a stunning 116-103 loss to their co-tenants at the Staples Center as 9.5-point road favorites in the first battle for bragging rights in the city of Los Angeles. They quickly bounced back with victories over Golden State and Sacramento, both SU and ATS. The total has gone over in all three games.

Rockets at Clippers Betting Storylines

The big story in Houston this offseason was the addition of all-star forward Dwight Howard, who signed as a free agent from the Lakers. He has definitely made his presence felt in his new surroundings with an average of 17 rebounds a game. He is also third on the team in scoring with 15 points while logging 34.7 minutes a game. James Harden leads the Rockets in scoring with 26 points a game, and he is also first on the team in assists with 4.3. Jeremy Lin is the second-leading scorer with 16.7 points a game.

Houston as a whole is averaging 104.3 points a game, which is ranked 10th in the league. It is shooting a solid 48.1 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from three-point range. Defensively, the Rockets have held their opponents to shooting 38.7 percent from the floor and just 28.8 percent from beyond the arc.

The Clippers are currently the highest-scoring team in the NBA with an average of 113 points a game, but they are ranked dead last in points allowed in giving up an average of 110.7 points in their first three outings. They are shooting 49.6 percent from the field while connecting on 39.7 percent of their shots in three-point range.

The big guns for Los Angeles continue to be the duo of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Paul leads the team with 27.7 points and 12 assists a game, while Griffin is adding another 20.7 points and 11.3 rebounds a game. Jamal Crawford has come off the bench to average 16.7 points in 23.7 minutes, and DeAndre Jordan is the Clippers leading rebounder with 12 a game.

Rockets at Clippers Betting Tends and Futures Odds

The Clippers have been opened by 5Dimes as five-point home favorites for this matchup, with the total set at 207.5.

The Rockets are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games overall and 3-1-1 ATS in their last five games following a SU win. The total has stayed “under” in their last five road games.

The Clippers are 6-2 ATS in their last eight home games but just 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against the Western Conference. The total has gone “over” in 17 of their last 22 games.

Head-to-head in this matchup, the road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings, and the total has stayed under in seven of the last eight games played in Los Angeles.

NBA Predictions: Rockets at Clippers Betting Picks

This should be a great matchup between two teams that have the star power to light up the scoreboard all night long. Look for a race up and down the court from the opening tip that ends up going over the 207.5-point total.

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