Nets vs. Rockets NBA injury report, spread, odds: James Harden +450 for triple-double in return to Houston; Eric Gordon, Jeff Green, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot in doubt

The Brooklyn Nets visit the free-falling Rockets on Wednesday night in what looks like a major mismatch, but the intrigue is the return to Houston of Nets star James Harden for the first time since forcing his way out of the franchise in mid-January. The Nets opened as 9.5-point favorites on the NBA odds at William Hill Sportsbook, which also is giving a moneyline price of +450 for yet another Harden triple-double. Check out the SportsLine Projection Model simulation of this game. 

In Monday's 124-113 overtime win in San Antonio, Harden was magnificent with 30 points, 15 assists and 14 rebounds and zero turnovers. The "Beard" became the first player to record at least 30 points, 15 assists, 10 boards and no turnovers since the NBA started tracking individual turnovers in the 1977-78 season.

Harden was clearly dogging it with Houston in his final days there but is back in MVP form with Brooklyn as he has seven triple-doubles in 22 games with the Nets. Already, those seven triple-doubles are the most in a season by a Nets player since Jason Kidd had 12 in 2007-08. Harden is averaging 25.3 points on 49 percent shooting with 11.3 assists (best in NBA) and 8.7 rebounds with Brooklyn.

In eight games with Houston, the three-time scoring champion was averaging 24.8 points on 44.4 percent shooting, 10.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds. In his final five games with Houston, though, he never topped 21 points.

Brooklyn remains without Kevin Durant, who also will not play in the All-Star Game due to his hamstring injury but will pick his "team" as captain on Thursday. Since Harden's debut, Brooklyn is 15-3 when at least two of the big three (KD, Harden & Kyrie Irving) play a full game together. The Nets played Monday without Jeff Green and Timothy Luwawu-Cabarrot, and they are doubtful Wednesday. The duo combines for 16.7 points per game and each sometimes starts depending on other injuries.

Houston actually played very well immediately after the Harden trade is but is a train wreck right now on a 12-game losing streak. The Rockets lost by 11 at home to a not-good Cleveland team on Monday. Eric Gordon sat out with a sore left knee and Danuel House left in the second quarter with a bruised right knee and didn't return. They are both questionable for this one. Gordon is fourth on the team in scoring at 17.8 ppg.

This is Houston's longest losing streak since dropping 15 in a row in 2001 and the first time the Rockets have lost five straight at home since March 2006. Just like Harden surely will be fired up Wednesday, so surely will John Wall be. He was acquired from Washington on the eve of the season for Russell Westbrook simply to make Harden happy for the most part. It obviously didn't work. Wall threw a public shot at Harden right before Harden was dealt. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said this week that the franchise eventually plans to retired Harden's No. 13.

Brooklyn is 6-0 against the spread in its past six on the road, while the Rockets are 0-6 ATS in their past six as home dogs. 

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it returned over $5,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks last season. The model is also up almost $8,500 on top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. Dating back to last season, it enters Week 11 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 85-52 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen HUGE returns.