The Houston Rockets (49-13) put their 15-game winning streak on the line when they square off against the Oklahoma City Thunder (37-28) at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The game can be seen on TNT at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 6, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 222.5 points with Houston set as a 4.5-point favorite.
Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Prediction
The last time the Rockets played, they defeated the Boston Celtics, 123-120. The Rockets made 26 of their 30 free throws (86.7 percent) and had a turnover percentage of 9.1 (better than their season average of 12.3). Houston received a boost from James Harden, who recorded 26 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
The Thunder fell to the Portland Trail Blazers in their last game, 108-100. Portland won the rebounding battle. The Trail Blazers had more offensive rebounds (14 vs. nine), defensive rebounds (33 vs. 31) and total rebounds (47 vs. 40). Russell Westbrook put together a good game for Oklahoma City, leading both teams in scoring with 30 points on 12-for-31 shooting.
The battle on the backboards could prove decisive, pitting strength against strength. The Thunder rank first in offensive rebounding percentage (28.3 percent), while Houston ranks third in defensive rebounding percentage (80.8 percent).
Houston holds records of 49-13 straight up (SU) and 32-29-1 against the spread (ATS). A little over half of the Rockets’ games have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma City is 37-28 SU and 25-39-1 ATS. Thunder games also have a slight tendency to finish under the total (53.8 percent).
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. Harden had 29 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds in the first game, in which the Rockets lost 112-107, unable to cover as 2.5-point underdogs. The game finished with a total of 219 points, which was just 0.5 points below the projected point total of 219.5 points. Oklahoma City had a better effective field goal percentage (0.595 vs. 0.506). Houston, meanwhile, did a great job of converting from the charity stripe (25-31; 80.6 percent).
Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Rockets, ATS Winner – Rockets, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Houston is 20-11 ATS with 18 unders, 12 overs and 1 push.
At home, Oklahoma City is 12-18-1 ATS with 17 unders and 14 overs.
Houston is 22-2 when they hold opponents below 100 points, while Oklahoma City is 18-5.
When scoring more than 100 points, the Thunder are 33-14 and the Rockets are 47-10.
Houston ranks first in three pointers attempted per game (42.6) while Oklahoma City ranks 25th in three pointers allowed per game (30.5).
The Thunder rank 10th in points allowed in the paint per game (43.1) while the Rockets rank 28th (48.0).
Oklahoma City ranks first in second chance points per game (15.1) while Houston ranks 18th (11.8).
The Thunder rank fourth in fast break points per game (14.7) while the Rockets rank 16th (11.2).
Houston ranks second in steals per game (8.8) while Oklahoma City ranks 13th in steals allowed per game (7.6).
The Thunder rank second in points off turnovers per game (18.5) while the Rockets rank 13th in points off turnovers allowed per game (16.0).
Oklahoma City ranks fifth in rebounds per game (45.1) while Houston ranks 16th (43.5).
The Rockets rank 23rd in assists per game (21.8) while the Thunder rank 29th (21.2).
Oklahoma City ranks ninth in blocks per game (5.0) while Houston ranks 12th in blocks allowed per game (4.6).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Houston is 4-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Oklahoma City is 1-4 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Rockets’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 10.0, up from 8.8 for the season.
During their last five games, the Thunder have scored an average of 105.4 points per game (1.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 110.2 points per game (6.4 above their season average).
