Rockets vs. Bucks Recap: Houston Rolls by 32, Five Plays Cash

Houston beat Milwaukee 132-100. The first quarter was close at 23-21, then the Rockets won the second 34-14 to lead 57-35 at the half and kept pulling away, scoring 38 in the third and 37 in the fourth. Houston's lead reached 35, and it led for 90 percent of the game. The Rockets shot 46-of-84 from the field and 17-of-38 from three. Fred VanVleet led them with 24 points, Amen Thompson added 23 and Tyler Herro scored 23 for Milwaukee. Five DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

ALT: Rockets over 113.5 points (-192 at FanDuel): CASHED

• Our read: The main Rockets team total was 117.5, and Houston had scored 114+ in 9 of its last 10 and in all 4 games this season.
• What happened: Houston had 95 through three quarters and finished with 132, 18.5 over the line. Six Rockets scored 10 or more.
• Worth watching: Buying points under a team total works best when a team has been clearing the lower number with room. Houston still needed 19 in the fourth quarter and scored 37.

ALT: Over 221.5 total points (-170 at FanDuel): CASHED

• Our read: The main total was 225.5, and recent games for these two teams had gone over 221.5 in 17 of 20, including 7 of 8 this season.
• What happened: The game finished at 232 points, 10.5 over the line. The teams combined for 140 after halftime.
• Worth watching: A lopsided game can still clear a total when the winner keeps scoring. Houston put up 75 in the second half, which did most of the work.

ALT: Amen Thompson 15+ points (-280 at FanDuel): CASHED

• Our read: Thompson had cleared 15+ points in each of his last 10 and 18 of his last 20. The best price, -242 at DraftKings, implied 71 percent against about 89 percent from recent games.
• What happened: He scored 23 on 10-of-16 shooting in 33 minutes, 8.5 over the line, without making a three.
• Worth watching: His points came inside the arc and at the line, so a cold night from three did not matter. A blowout can still cap his minutes.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. 19+ points + assists (-102 at FanDuel): CASHED

• Our read: Jaquez had cleared 19+ points + assists in 8 of his last 10 and 14 of his last 20. At -102 the price implied 50 percent against about 72 percent from recent games.
• What happened: 19 points and 2 assists made 21, 2.5 over the line, in 27 minutes. He shot 7-of-13, including 3-of-6 from three.
• Worth watching: He was efficient in a game Milwaukee trailed most of the way. When the Bucks fall behind, his scoring load is the angle to check.

ALT: Ryan Rollins 4+ assists (-194 at FanDuel): CASHED

• Our read: Rollins had 4+ assists in 8 of his last 10, averaging 5.0, and cleared in 61 of 74 games last season.
• What happened: He finished with 5 assists in 17 minutes, 1.5 over the line, while shooting 2-of-14.
• Worth watching: He cleared in only 17 minutes. Blowouts cut playing time, so his minutes are the risk to weigh on this line.

How the game played out

The second quarter decided it. Milwaukee scored 14 in that frame and went 12-of-41 from three for the night. Houston's bench did real damage: Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 16 on 5-of-6 shooting in 15 minutes, and Clint Capela added 10 points and 8 rebounds. Capela, Bogdanovic and Jabari Smith Jr. were each plus-23.

Trends to watch

• Houston blocked 10 shots and had 12 steals. A defense creating that much can turn a close game into a runaway quickly.
• Herro scored 23 on 9-of-13 shooting in 27 minutes, the top scoring line for Milwaukee.
• Houston went 23-of-26 at the line and had 17 fast-break points. Free throws and transition points can push a team total over in a hurry.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. For more on these markets, see total and alt line, or get more at /nba.