NBA 2026 Season: Houston Rockets Defense Explained for Online Sports Betting

How The Rockets Play Defense Under Ime Udoka

Udoka is still a defense-first coach. Over his first two years, Houston posted back-to-back top-10 defenses, including fifth in defensive rating (110.3), sixth in points allowed (109.9), and sixth in opponent field-goal percentage (.459) last season.

Now in year three:

• Offense is elite (top-2 in offensive rating)
• Defense is good but slipping, hovering around 10th–20th depending on the split
• Udoka is mixing man and zone often. Kevin Durant says he'll go man one trip, zone the next, then switch again, even in the first quarter

Injuries are a big part of the story for NBA sports bettors: Fred VanVleet tore his ACL and may miss the entire season, so Amen Thompson is now the full-time starting point guard. Dorian Finney-Smith had ankle surgery and is out with no firm return date. Tari Eason is out 4–6 weeks with an oblique strain after a hot start.

That's three of their best defenders gone or limited, which is exactly why their once-elite defense now looks more human in sports betting today.

Read more: How Betting Predictions Use Data Trends and Matchups

Stay ahead of the injury game. Visit Shurzy's Content Lab for up-to-date analysis on NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and more.

Three Key Defensive Players For Bettors

All of these guys are on the roster and central to the defensive picture as of February 2026.

Amen Thompson – All-Defense engine at the point

Amen Thompson made NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2024–25. At age 22, he helped Houston finish fifth in defensive rating and was one of the best on-ball defenders in the league by the numbers: league-best .407 defensive field-goal percentage among high-usage defenders and a top-10 individual defensive rating.

In 2025–26, he's now the starting point guard after VanVleet's ACL tear, averaging mid-teens in points with solid boards and assists.

Betting impact: He usually takes the toughest guard or main ball-handler. That can tilt guard scoring props under, especially for players who rely on driving instead of deep pull-ups. His steals and blocks can swing momentum and add surprise scoring runs that matter for over under bets on sports betting sites.

Jabari Smith Jr. – switchable forward and back-line helper

Jabari Smith Jr. just signed a five-year extension as a core piece. The Rockets love his defensive versatility at 6-10. He can defend forwards, some wings, and even play small-ball center.

He was a key part of last year's top-5 defense and continues to be a multi-positional stopper in 2025–26, helping on the glass and on switches.

Betting impact: When Jabari is on the court with Amen, Houston can switch a lot and stay connected on shooters. That's bad for overs on certain forwards and pull-up wings, especially if their lines are inflated by name value. When he is in foul trouble or off the floor with smaller lineups, opponent forwards and stretch bigs can get good looks.

Steven Adams – bruising rim protector and rebounder

Steven Adams gives the Rockets a true bruiser at center. He owns a 108.2 defensive rating this season, best on the team, and he was already praised as a strong rim protector and rebounder last year.

In games where Adams plays real minutes with Alperen Sengun, Houston can dominate the glass but sometimes struggles to cover space in the zone or in double-big lineups.

Betting impact: With Adams on the floor, offensive rebounds for the opponent drop, which supports unders or tighter totals. When he sits, opponent big-man rebounds and putback points get more attractive for props.

Read more: Everything You Need to Know About NBA Prop Betting

What The Rockets Actually Do Well (And Where They Struggle)

Old identity: force misses, guard everybody

Last year, the Rockets were a classic Udoka team: 5th in defensive rating (110.3), 6th in points allowed per game (109.9), 6th in opponent field-goal percentage (.459).

They used length from Amen, Jabari, Tari Eason, and others to switch across positions and make life hell for stars like Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the playoffs.

For NBA sports betting for Houston Rockets in that era, unders and star-prop unders were often live.

New identity: elite offense, good but leaky defense

This year, the offense has exploded with Kevin Durant and a deeper guard rotation. Houston ranks top-2 in offensive rating but has slipped to about 10th–19th on defense, depending on the sample you look at.

Key defensive issues called out by recent pieces: Over-reliance on zone defense, especially with double bigs, which can leave open threes. Struggles against good teams: all four opponents with winning records had scored 115+ on them in one breakdown. Injuries to VanVleet, Finney-Smith, and Eason thin out their pool of plus defenders.

For sports betting odds: Rockets can still clamp bad or average offenses. But against top offenses, games often push higher totals and star overs.

Depth, injuries, and "bend but not break"

Even with injuries, Houston's depth keeps them competitive. In a recent overtime win versus Orlando, they were missing VanVleet, Tari Eason, and Finney-Smith, plus other pieces from the Durant trade, but still pulled out a 117–113 win behind defense in key moments.

For sports betting picks: When the roster is thin, expect more minutes from offensive-minded players and some defensive slippage. That is good for overs and opponent props. When Udoka has his full set of stoppers, the defense can look closer to last year's top-5 form.

Read more: Predictions for Spreads, Totals, and Props Explained

How Rockets Defense Shows Up In Sports Betting Lines

Books know this team now has elite scoring and only a solid defense. You see it on sports betting sites and the best apps:

• Game totals are usually high because of Durant, Sengun, and their pace, but not as high as a pure no-defense team because Udoka still demands effort
• Point spread betting often prices them as favorites or short dogs thanks to their offensive power and still-positive net rating
• Opponent star props, especially for wings and stretch bigs, are aggressive because zone looks and double bigs can be attacked from outside

Use a sports betting calculator or light AI to compare implied team totals to what Houston has actually allowed over the last 5–10 games, adjusting for injury context.

Read more: Why Matchups Matter in Betting Predictions

Stay ahead of the injury game. Visit Shurzy's Content Lab for up-to-date analysis on NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and more.

Simple Example: Using Rockets Defense In A Betting Angle

Say the Rockets host a good team with a high-usage scoring wing and a stretch big. The board looks like this:

• Game total: 236.5
• Opponent team total: 116.5
• Star wing points line: 27.5

Injury report: Fred VanVleet out (ACL, season-long), Dorian Finney-Smith out until at least late November, Tari Eason out 4–6 weeks with oblique strain.

Your read: Amen will likely guard the primary guard, not the wing, since VanVleet is out. Jabari will see lots of the star wing, but with Finney-Smith and Eason missing, there are fewer backup defenders. Houston's zone/double-big look can be pulled apart by a stretch big and smart ball movement.

One simple parlay angle:

• Star wing 25+ points (alt over instead of full 27.5)
• Opponent team total over 112.5 alt line
• Full game total over 232.5 alt line

You price that in your favorite app, use a sports betting calculator to see the implied probability, then stack any sports betting promos or promotions that boost same-game parlays.

Read more: How to Use Predictions Without Blindly Following Them

Best Angles For NBA Sports Betting For Houston Rockets (Defense Edition)

Quick cheat sheet before you fire a bet:

Lean under or cautious over when:

• Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. are both active and playing full minutes
• Steven Adams is in the rotation and the Rockets control the glass
• The opponent's offense is guard-heavy and relies on rim pressure, not elite shooting

Be more open to overs when:

• Multiple forwards are out (Finney-Smith, Eason) and Houston has to go smaller or more offensive
• The opponent has a stretch big and a star wing who can exploit the zone and double-big look
• Recent results show Houston giving up 115+ to quality teams

Prop ideas:

• Opponent wing and stretch-big overs against heavy zone and thin forward depth
• Opponent big-man rebound unders in games where Adams plus Jabari control the glass
• Amen Thompson steals/blocks or defensive-stat overs in matchups with sloppy guards