It will be a battle between two of the league’s top scoring offenses when the Houston Rockets (37-39) take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (53-23). The game starts at 3:30 pm ET on Sunday, Apr. 3 and can be seen on ABC.
The Rockets are expecting better results after their 103-100 loss to the Bulls on Thursday. Patrick Beverley had a solid performance for Houston, finishing with 22 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. The Thunder, meanwhile, are coming off a 119-117 win over the Clippers on Thursday. Russell Westbrook claimed his 50th double-double of the season with 26 points and 11 assists.
It could be an error-filled game for the Thunder offense, which ranks 28th in the league in ball security (turnover percentage of 15.3%). They’ll be facing the disruptive Houston defense, which forces the third-most turnovers in the NBA (15.7%).
The Thunder have won two out of three against the Rockets this season, including a 111-107 victory in their last matchup. James Harden put up 24 points and 16 assists.
The Rockets have gone 37-39 Straight Up (SU) and 32-43-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Even though they have a 14-23 record ATS, they are at home against Western Conference opponents. The Rockets have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 113.9 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 105.8 points per game. The Rockets are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making a superb 20.0 per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the Rockets are the top team in the league at taking the ball away from their opponents, averaging 10.0 steals per game. If its opponents turn the ball over, Houston has shown that it knows how to capitalize. They average 18.6 points off turnovers, making them the fourth-best team in the league for that category.
Across the court, the Thunder have a record of 32-41-3 ATS and 53-23 SU. When traveling to play against teams in the Western Conference, Oklahoma City has a record of SU, but only 13-22-1 ATS. Offensively, they average 110.1 points per game, which is good for second in the league. Oklahoma City is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the league, hitting 19.0 shots from the line per game. Oklahoma City is the best rebounding teams in the NBA. The Thunder average a league-leading 48.4 rebounds per game.
The Thunder’s win over Houston in their last clash moved the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the past 10 meetings. On the other hand, the Rockets hold the advantage ATS with a record of 5-4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC
Notes
“Houston is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games “.
“Houston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston’s last 7 games “.
“Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston’s last 6 games at home”.
“Houston is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City”.
“Houston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Oklahoma City”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Houston’s last 16 games when playing Oklahoma City”.
“Houston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City”.
“Houston is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City”.
Oklahoma City is one of the top scoring teams, averaging 110.1 points per game (ranked second). Houston, on the other hand, allows 106.6 points per game (ranked 26th).
Houston ranks 24th in points allowed per home game (104.4 PPG), while Oklahoma City ranks second in points per away game with 110.8.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Rockets are 14-4 on the season. When the Thunder score fewer than 100, they are an abysmal 3-12.
The Houston Rockets have a poor 23-35 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Oklahoma City Thunder are 50-11 when they hit triple digits.
The Thunder have a defensive rating of 103.4 (ranked 12th). The Rockets rank eighth for their offensive rating of 105.5.
Houston averages 100.3 possessions per game, scoring 1.055 points on each possession. While Oklahoma City averages fewer possessions per game with 99.7, the team scores more points per possession with 1.104.
Oklahoma City has an average effective field goal percentage of 52.4% (ranked third in the league}. Houston is a subpar 11-24 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, Houston attempts 30.0 three pointers and Oklahoma City attempts 23.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Rockets are 31-33 while the Thunder have a solid 19-8 record.
Houston has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.43 this season (ranked 26th). Oklahoma City ranks higher with an A/TO of 1.50 (ranked 24th).
The Thunder earn a league-high 48.4 rebounds per game, while the Rockets rank 20th with 43.1 per game.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the top offensive rebounding team in the league, while the Houston Rockets rank 27th in defensive rebounding.
On average, the Rockets force a turnover rate of 15.7%, ranked third in the NBA. When the Thunder turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 20-11 record.
