Feb. 21, 2026, 12:58 p.m. ET

The Houston Rockets (34-20) and New York Knicks (36-21) meet Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, at 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Rockets vs. Knicks and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: Knicks lead 1-0, a 124-118 home win Feb. 3. The Rockets covered the 7-point spread, and the Over (224.5) cashed. G Jalen Brunson scored a team-high 42 points.

The Rockets are coming off a 105-101 home win over the Charlotte Hornets Thursday. They barely missed covering the 4.5-point spread, with the Under (218.5) cashing. F Kevin Durant led the way with 35 points.

The Knicks are coming off a 126-111 loss to the Detroit Pistons Thursday. They missed covering the 4-point spread by a wide margin. Brunson scored 33 points as the Over hit at 219.5.

Watch the NBA on Fubo!Rockets at Knicks odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:50 p.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Rockets +135 (bet $100 to win $135) | Knicks -160 (bet $160 to win $100)Against the spread (ATS): Rockets +3.5 (-110) | Knicks -3.5 (-110)Over/Under (O/U): 219.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)Rockets at Knicks key injuries

Rockets

C Steven Adams (ankle) outG Fred VanVleet (knee) out

Knicks

G Miles McBride (pelvis) out

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

Rockets at Knicks picks and predictionsPrediction

Knicks 119, Rockets 112

AVOID.

The Knicks have been very good at home this season, posting a 21-8 record. Houston, on the other hand, has been pedestrian on the road with a 16-13 record. While they are one of the better defensive teams in the league, I don’t believe the Rockets have enough juice on offense to keep up with New York on the road.

BET KNICKS -3.5 (-110).

The Knicks’ dominance at home and potent offense should allow them to pull away late. They have covered the spread in each of their last 7 wins, and Houston has failed to cover in each of its last 4 losses.

BET OVER 219.5 (-110).

The Over has cashed for the Knicks in each of their last 3 games, and they are averaging 120 points per game at home. The Rockets have hit the Under in 6 of their last 8 games, but their dominance in offensive rebounding (16 per game) should help them put up enough points to hang around.

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