NBA Betting: Houston-Portland Odds Picks

Those looking at Kentucky Derby odds are wary about getting ahead of themselves, and basketball betting players should be concerned about the same thing on Tuesday night, when Houston can clinch their first-round series on the road when they take on Portland, the youngest team in the playoffs. The Trail Blazers are the sportsbook favorites at home, and they'll have to work fast to put a missed chance behind them from Game 4.

Rockets vs Trailblazers odds - April 28, 9:30 PM ET

The Rockets shot 39.8% from the floor, but 9-of-16 from three-point land in an 89-88 win in Game 4 at home. Yao Ming led the way with 21 points and 12 boards while playing 44 minutes, and Luis Scola added 17 points and eight boards for the Rockets, who outrebounded the Trailblazers 43-41, and only committed nine turnovers. Ron Artest had a rough shooting night, going 5-of-20 for 12 points, but he handed out nine assists.

The Trail Blazers led by six points heading into the final quarter, they made all 17 of their free-throw attempts, and still couldn't put the Rockets away. Brandon Roy had a game-high 31 points, including 13 of Portland's 17 free throws, and they also had a slight chance when Houston's Kyle Lowry missed a pair of free throws with 1.2 seconds left, but they couldn't get another shot off. LaMarcus Aldridge added 19 points and 10 boards for the Trail Blazers, who will be a force in future playoffs, but they've made too many mistakes in this series to head to the next round.

Basketball betting odds have the Trail Blazers as a 5.5-point favorite at home, and they should be confident after losing both games in Houston by a combined four points. Back at home, the Trail Blazers should be more relaxed, and it's imperative that they get out to a good start. For the Rockets, they've played their best when Yao gets out of the gate quickly, and he broke out in Game 4 after struggling with double teams in the previous two games. The pace should be picked up in Portland, where the Trail Blazers like to get out and run, so players who are into betting online should consider the over with a total of 182. Take the Trail Blazers to keep their season alive with a basketball betting win on Tuesday.