Top 10 Games & Sports Events This Month: December 2022

Grab a ticket and some popcorn for our picks to the top games and sports events across Houston in December 2022.

Basketball is king in the month of December, with both the top-ranked Cougars and the Rockets facing stiff competition at home, all month long.

But you can also catch one of the Texans’ final home games, a college football bowl game, and a World Cup Final watch party.

We’ve rounded up the top highlights of this month’s sporting schedule, but you can find more on the 365 Houston calendar.

Top 10 Games & Sports Events This Month: December 2022

• Houston Rockets vs. Philadelphia 76ers at Toyota Center | Monday, December 5 – Philly lands in H-Town, bringing Joel Embiid and a potential appearance by James Harden, who’s been battling injury over the last two months. $20 and up. 7pm.
• College Basketball: Houston Cougars vs. Alabama Crimson Tide at Fertitta Center | Saturday, December 10 – Ranked nationally at No. 1, the Coogs will face their stiffest test of the season thus far when the Top 15 Alabama rolls through campus. Tickets are sold out at the venue, but you may find hard-to-get seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 2pm.
• Houston Rockets vs. Milwaukee Bucks at Toyota Center | Sunday, December 11 – Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the Bucks to face a young Rockets squad on the Downtown hardcourt. $20 and up. 6pm.
• Houston Rockets vs. Phoenix Suns at Toyota Center | Tuesday, December 13 – Former Rocket Chris Paul is slated to make a return from injury, joining Devin Booker and the Suns, when they face Houston in mid-December. $20 and up.
• 2022 World Cup Final Watch Party at Social Beer Garden | Sunday, December 18 | No Cover – After a full month of more than 60 games, the World Cup Final arrives at one of Houston’s headquarters for the Beautiful Game. Take to the Midtown’s indoor and outdoor spaces for games on the big screen and on 20 TVs throughout, plus enjoy drink specials and more festivities. 9am.
• Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs at NRG Stadium | Sunday, December 18 – One of the top teams of the NFL pay a visit to the Texans in Houston’s second-to-last home game of the season. $82 and up, but you may find cheaper or better seats on the online ticket resale market. Noon.
• Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks at Toyota Center | Friday, December 23 – The final game before Christmas sees Luka Doncic and rivals from up north, the Mavericks, stopping by for a divisional clash. $20 and up, but you may find cheaper or better seats on the online resale marketplace. 7pm.
• TaxAct Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium | Wednesday, December 28 – Houston’s annual featured bowl game returns to NRG, showcasing top teams from the Big 12 and SEC to cap off another year of college football. Tickets are TBD, but you may find better, cheaper or hard-to-get seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 8pm.
• College Basketball: Houston Cougars vs. University of Central Florida at Fertitta Center | New Year’s Eve, Saturday, December 31 – A tough team from UCF heads to Houston for a New Year’s Eve afternoon showdown to close out 2022. Tickets are sold out at the venue, but you may find hard-to-get seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 1pm.
• Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks at Toyota Center | New Year’s Eve, Saturday, December 31 – The Rockets’ New Year’s Eve tradition continues, with an early tip-off against the New York Knicks ahead of evening festivities. $20 and up. 6pm.