The Houston Rockets (64-15) and Oklahoma City Thunder (45-34) get their Western Conference schedules underway at Toyota Center. The game starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 7, 2018, and will air on ABC.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 219.5 points with Houston opening as a 7-point favorite.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets Betting Prediction
In the Thunder’s last game, they were beaten by the Golden State Warriors, 111-107. Golden State’s effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over Oklahoma City. The Warriors had a rate of 0.542 (below their season average of 0.572), while the Thunder posted a mark of 0.425 (below their season average of 0.514). Russell Westbrook was the top scorer from either team with 44 points on 15-for-26 shooting.
The Rockets edged the Portland Trail Blazers in their last contest, 96-94. The Rockets had a better free throw rate (0.205 vs. 0.106) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.555 vs. 0.500). Chris Paul was the top scorer from either team with 27 points on 11-for-19 shooting.
Houston figures to have the edge on the offensive side of the ball. The Rockets currently rank first in offensive efficiency, while the Thunder rank 11th in defensive efficiency. Moreover, the Thunder, who rank first in offensive rebounding percentage (27.9 percent), will face a difficult test against the Rockets, who rank third in defensive rebounding percentage (80.0 percent).
Oklahoma City comes into the game with records of 45-34 straight up (SU) and 31-46-2 against the spread (ATS). Vegas tends to place the total high when the Thunder are involved, as 55.7 percent of their games have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, Houston is 64-15 SU and 41-36-2 ATS. Rockets games also have a tendency to go under the O/U total (55.7 percent).
The two teams have split their two matchups this season. The Rockets won the most recent matchup 122-112, covering as 5.5-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 234 points, which was 14.5 points above the projected point total of 219.5 points. Houston did a fantastic job of getting and making free throws (29-34; 85.3 percent). Oklahoma City, meanwhile, had a better offensive rebounding percentage (28.6 vs. 24.1). James Harden recorded a double-double with 23 points and 11 assists.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets Betting Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Rockets, ATS Winner – Thunder, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Oklahoma City is 16-23 ATS with 21 unders and 18 overs.
At home, Houston is 17-22-1 ATS with 21 unders and 19 overs.
Houston is 31-2 when they allow below 100 points, while Oklahoma City is 21-5.
In games where they score over 100 points, the Thunder are 41-18 and the Rockets are 61-11.
Houston averages 42.3 three pointers per game, which ranks first in the NBA. Oklahoma City ranks 24th in three pointers allowed per game (30.6).
The Thunder rank first in second chance points per game (15.1) while the Rockets rank 21st (11.5).
Oklahoma City ranks seventh in points allowed in the paint per game (43.3) while Houston ranks 25th (48.1).
The Thunder rank fifth in rebounds per game (45.1) while the Rockets rank 18th (43.5).
Oklahoma City ranks third in fast break points per game (15.1) while Houston ranks 15th (11.5).
The Thunder average 18.6 points off turnovers per game, which ranks first in the league. The Rockets rank 11th in points off turnovers allowed per game (15.7).
Oklahoma City ranks first in steals per game (9.1) while Houston ranks 10th in steals allowed per game (7.3).
The Rockets rank 24th in assists per game (21.7) while the Thunder rank 28th (21.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Oklahoma City is 1-4 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Houston is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Thunder have been outscored by an average of 1.4 points in their last five games. For the season, Oklahoma City has defeated opponents by an average of 3.0 points.
During their last five games, the Rockets have scored an average of 104.2 points per game (8.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 97.4 points per game (6.6 below their season average).
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