he late-night affair at Staples Center pits two of the top teams in the Western Conference hooking up. This is already the third matchup between these squads as the home club captured victories in the first two meetings back in November.The Rockets (18-9 SU, 12-15 ATS) held off the Clippers (21-8 SU, 17-12 ATS) at Toyota Center, 102-93 on November 13 to cash as 2 ½-point favorites. Paul George was still sidelined for Los Angeles, but Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Houston jumped out to a 16-point advantage after one quarter as James Harden torched the Clippers for 47 points, including knocking down seven treys.The Clippers picked up revenge at Staples Center on November 22 in a 122-119 triumph, but the Rockets covered as 5 ½-point underdogs. L.A. outscored Houston, 42-35 in the fourth quarter to grab the win, while helping the game eclipse the total of 226. Harden scored 37 points in this affair, while George put up 19 points on 4-of-15 shooting from the floor. The star for the Clippers that night was Lou Williams, who posted a team-high 26 points off the bench as Los Angeles improved to 6-4 in the previous 10 meetings with Houston.Houston travels west for a four-game road swing that continues to Phoenix on Saturday, Sacramento on Monday, and concluding on Christmas Day at Golden State. The Rockets rebounded from a home loss to the Pistons by erasing a 25-point deficit to stun the Spurs on Monday, 109-107. Houston fell to 1-5 ATS the last six games as it failed to cash as 10-point favorites, but the Rockets are 3-1 ATS in the road underdog role this season.The Clippers returned home from a 4-2 road swing to rout the Suns, 120-99 as 14-point favorites on Tuesday. George and Leonard combined for 44 points, while Williams drilled 5-of-7 attempts from three-point range. Doc Rivers’ team has put together a sizzling 15-1 record at Staples Center this season (16-1 if you include the opening night “road” win over the Lakers), while covering in four straight home games since failing to cash against the Rockets in that three-point win last month.