Offense meets defense when the Houston Rockets (27-9) welcome the Golden State Warriors (30-8) to Toyota Center. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 4, 2018, and will air on TNT.
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets ATS Prediction
In the Warriors’ last matchup, they defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 125-122. Golden State’s 17.5 offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest strength over Dallas, who had a mark of 15.2. The Warriors’ mark was below their season average of 21.7, while the Mavericks’ was below the 23.9 mark opponents have averaged against Golden State this season. Kevin Durant led the way for Golden State, finishing with 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
The Rockets won big over the Orlando Magic in their last game, 116-98. Houston’s 0.556 effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over Orlando, who had a mark of 0.418. The Rockets’ mark was below their season average of 0.558, while the Magic’s was below their season average of 0.517. Gerald Green was the game’s high scorer with 27 points on 9-for-15 shooting.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the prolific offense of Houston takes on the elite defense of Golden State. The Rockets rank first in offensive efficiency, while the Warriors are third in defensive efficiency.
Golden State heads into the contest with records of 30-8 straight up (SU) and 17-20 against the spread (ATS). Warriors games have gone over the total 51.4 percent of the time.
Meanwhile, Houston is 27-9 SU and 16-18-1 ATS. Much like Golden State, games including the Rockets have a slight tendency to go over the O/U total (51.4 percent).
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, James Harden scored a game-high 27 points and the Rockets, who were 9-point underdogs, defeated the Warriors 122-121. He also had 11 assists and six rebounds. The game finished with a total of 243 points, which was 11.5 points above the projected point total of 231.5 points. The Rockets’ turnover percentage was their largest advantage over the Warriors. Houston had a rate of 10.2, while Golden State posted a mark of 16.0.
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Warriors, ATS Winner – Warriors, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Golden State is 8-9 ATS on the road with 10 overs and 7 unders.
At home, Houston is 7-11-1 ATS with 12 overs and 7 unders.
Golden State is 10-2 when they hold opponents under 100 points, while Houston is 12-2.
The Warriors are 27-5 when they reach 100 points, while the Rockets are 27-6.
Houston ranks third in steals per game (9.1) while Golden State ranks 27th in steals allowed per game (8.9).
The Rockets average 18.5 points off turnovers per game, which ranks fourth in the league. The Warriors rank 25th in points off turnovers allowed per game (18.7).
Golden State ranks first in fast break points per game (21.8) while Houston ranks 22nd in fast break points allowed per game (12.8).
The Rockets average 43.1 three pointers per game, which ranks first in the league. The Warriors rank 19th in three pointers allowed per game (29.3).
Golden State ranks first in assists per game (30.6) while Houston ranks 18th (22.3).
The Warriors rank 11th in points in the paint per game (45.2) while the Rockets rank 27th in points allowed in the paint per game (47.6).
Golden State averages 8.4 blocks per game, which ranks first in the NBA. Houston ranks 15th in blocks allowed per game (4.8).
The Rockets rank 15th in second chance points allowed per game (12.2) while the Warriors rank 26th (13.6).
Houston ranks fifth in rebounds allowed per game (41.4) while Golden State ranks 11th (42.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Golden State is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Houston is 0-5 ATS with 2 overs, 2 unders and 1 push over their last five games.
The Warriors’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.4, down from 9.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Rockets have scored an average of 114.4 points per game (0.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 114.4 points per game (7.8 above their season average).
