NBA Betting Picks – Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder
It is the last game of the regular season for the Houston Rockets, but don’t tell James Harden that it doesn’t mean anything. The Rockets have a chance, albeit a slim one, of overtaking the Nuggets for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
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And that would be quite an accomplishment for a team that struggled at the beginning of the season. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, avoiding an eighth-place finish would certainly help their chances in the first round of the playoffs and another win would help in that regard.
Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder
Date and Time: Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 9:30 p.m. ET
Location: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
Opening NBA Odds: Check Back Later
Rockets at Thunder TV Coverage: TNT
Odds Analysis
The Rockets have won six in a row and 20 of their last 23 games to throw a scare into the Nuggets and possibly take the second-seed in the conference playoff standings. The post All-Star break surge coincided with the team getting healthy and the Rockets have been one of the best over the last two months. But, while they are eyeing the No. 2 seed, slipping into the fourth spot is a real possibility as well. A win over OKC will guarantee a finish no lower than third in the conference.
It appears as though the Thunder have righted the ship after a disastrous stretch saw them flirting with eighth place in the West. They’re not out of the woods yet, but a three-game winning streak has them breathing easier. We know how lethal OKC is when Russell Westbrook and Paul George are playing at a high level. Throw in some theatrics from Dennis Schroeder and a few other role players and the Thunder can be scary. OKC’s bench scored 44 points on Sunday for the team’s third straight scoring at least 119 points in each outing.
Rockets
When you think of the Rockets, Harden and the three-point shot should immediately come to mind. The Beard hit 5 of 6 threes and scored 30 points in three quarters against the Suns, and Houston broke its own record for triples in a game by tossing in 27 in Sunday’s 149-113 home victory. That’s what the Rockets do, and when they are accurate they can be tough to beat. And we’ve seen more balance in the offense recently, with shots coming in the flow of the game.
That’s meant a lot of points for Houston, which scored at least 120 in each of the last four games and no fewer than 112 during the six-game winning streak. The Rockets are averaging 127.5 points per game during the run and their defense has been equally good, holding opponents to fewer than 102 points per game.
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Thunder
It’s all about Westbrook and George for OKC and the two are getting geared for the postseason. A week ago it looked like the Thunder were going to finish in the eighth spot after stretch of poor play took them out of contention for homecourt advantage in the first round. There are scenarios that could have the Thunder anywhere from the No. 6 to No. 8 seed. And avoiding a first-round confrontation with the defending champion Warriors is a motivating factor.
Westbrook in particular has been on fire. He had that epic 20-20-20 game last week and produced his 32nd triple-double of the season with 27 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a wild 132-126 win over the Timberwolves on Sunday. George chipped in with 27 points in that game, scoring at least that many in nine of his last 12 games. OKC has gotten production from its bench recently, something Billy Donovan planned ahead of the playoffs. Schroeder tallied 21 points and Markieff Morris added 14 as the reserves scored 44 points. Morris, Patrick Patterson and Raymond Felton, have seen expanded roles over the last few games and the team responded.
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Both teams are clicking offensively, which leads us to believe we could see plenty of points. While the scoring is up over the last several games, the teams are also playing defense, well, except for OKC giving up 126 to the Wolves, but that’s an outlier over their recent form. And considering that there is plenty at stake for playoff positioning, this game will have a playoff-like feel, and those games are typically lower scoring. It’s hard to go against the Thunder at home, but the Rockets have been playing marvelous basketball for some time, and I expect that continue with a road win on Tuesday.
NBA Score Prediction: Rockets 115, Thunder 109
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