Rockets 2023-24 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions

The Houston Rockets are a wild card for 2022-23.

Hopes aren't typically high when a team finished the previous season 22-60 and with the 28th-best record in the NBA, but this year's Rockets are a new team. They entered the offseason with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and salary cap space than any other team in the league.

Enter Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, and pair them with new head coach Ime Udoka, and this team is truly one to keep an eye on. The free agency moves were polarizing, but are a leap toward contention.

Here is the schedule they will have to navigate.

2023-24 Rockets Schedule Details

Season Opener: at Orlando Magic, October 25, 7 p.m. ET

Championship Odds: +3,500 (bet $100 to win $3,500), per FanDuel

Full Schedule: The full schedule is availableon NBA.com.

Top Matchups

Boston Celtics

In a normal year, a matchup against an Eastern Conference foe in a much different situation would not be notable. However, this matchup will be, and it is all about Ime Udoka.

Udoka began as the Celtics head coach ahead of the 2021-22 season and led the team to a 51-31 regular season record and a trip to the NBA Finals. He was respected by his players and was looking at being a long-term bench boss for the historic franchise.

What happened? Well, a scandal ended his time in Beantown, and facing his old team for the first time will allow the situation to get some new life.

Memphis Grizzlies

This is another situation where the hype will surround one individual, but this one is even messier. Dillon Brooks had a polarizing tenure with Memphis, and his return could see physical play escalate.

The end of his time with the Grizzlies was rough, but he still was a difference maker they have to replace. He has made comparisons between this Rockets teams and Grizzlies teams he has played on, so there is some appreciation at least, but he will have some extra pep in his step for these matchups.

In addition to that added incentive, the Grizzlies and Rockets are division rivals, so these matchups mean even more and will happen frequently.

Philadelphia 76ers

James Harden had the best years of his career in Houston, but has played for several teams since then. Why does this year matter?

Well, it looked like a return to the Rockets was on the cards for Harden, as the immense cap space could make him a rich man. His opt-in with the 76ers pretty much ended those hopes, but for a few weeks Houston fans thought a reunion was going to happen.

These matchups will be an opportunity for VanVleet and Brooks to show that they were superior acquisitions and carve a place in the hearts of Rockets fans. Seeing the new blood take on old friends is always must-see television.

His future with Philadelphia remains extremely bleak, especially since he claimed he would never play for an organization that employs Daryl Morey. Still, this could be an opportunity for the Rockets to show him what the good days used to entail.

Season Forecast

As stated before, this season is very hard to predict. The Rockets were abysmal in 22-23 and haven't made the postseason since 2019-20. The core is still pretty young, despite the additions, and expectations should not be sky high.

However, this team has a chance to be gritty. Brooks and VanVleet made names for themselves based on tenacity. This team should be able to frustrate opponents and should definitely take a huge step in the right direction.