Trail Blazers vs. Rockets injury report, odds spread: Christian Wood will play; Robert Covington out, Carmelo Anthony likely to start again Thursday

The Houston Rockets have followed a season-worst three-game losing streak with a season-best three-game winning run and they will have starting center Christian Wood back in the lineup Thursday when hosting the Portland Trail Blazers in the first of a TNT doubleheader. While the Blazers remain without both CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic long term, they also will not have starting forward Robert Covington for the second game in a row. Houston is a 4-point favorite on the William Hill Sportsbook NBA odds – up from an open of -2.

There haven't been many better free-agent signings from this offseason than the Rockets getting Wood on the ridiculously low price of $41 million over three seasons. Via ESPN's PER rating, Wood has been the 25th-best player in the league this season (that seems low) in averaging 23.5 points on 52.8 percent shooting, 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.

Wood has missed the past three with an ankle injury but did practice Wednesday and said he was 100 percent. It's a bit of a scheduling factor that the Rockets have won the past three without Wood as they have played two bad teams in the Pistons and Wizards and a disappointing club in the Mavs.

DeMarcus Cousins has been spectacular over that stretch in averaging 17.3 points and 14.3 rebounds. Coach Stephen Silas is already on record saying Cousins will get more minutes even with Wood back -- though Cousins will surely go back a reserve role. The Rockets suddenly look formidable with Wood, Cousins, John Wall, Victor Oladipo, Eric Gordon and PJ Tucker all finally healthy at once.

The Blazers clearly miss both McCollum and Nurkic and neither will be back soon. Portland was upset at home by Oklahoma City on Monday 125-122 without those two as well as Covington and Rodney Hood. Covington, a trade acquisition this offseason from Houston for Trevor Ariza, a 2020 first-round pick and 2021 protected first-round pick, missed it in the concussion protocol and was ruled out Wednesday for this one.

Covington has been a disappointment in averaging just 6.5 and 5.5 rebounds, but he is a good defender. Carmelo Anthony should start for him again and is a much better offensive player but much worse defensively. Melo had a season-high 22 points Monday.

It does appear the Blazers will have Hood, though. Hood was a surprising DNP-CD on Monday but it turned out he was dealing with a thigh contusion. Hood is listed as probable; his numbers are way down but he provides depth off the bench and has started twice. Derrick Jones Jr. (quad) is also listed as probable and was in the lineup Monday.

Portland beat visiting Houston 128-126 in OT back on Dec. 26 when McCollum was healthy (he had 44 points, including the clinching three-pointer) and the Rockets had James Harden but not Wall, Cousins or Gordon as they were in the COVID protocols. The Blazers are 7-3 against the spread in the past 10 meetings. 

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