Christmas is such a busy time and there’s nothing like taking a break from the frantic pace by pouring a glass of Christmas cheer and flicking on an NBA basketball game. With five games on the NBA schedule for Christmas day, bettors have a great selection of bets available to them — James Harden’s point total, set at 31.5, specifically stands out.
The Rockets got off to a slow start to the season and they have had troubles with consistency although they are playing a lot better lately, winning six of their last seven games. They still have their work cut out for them if they are to reach their projected season wins total of 55.5. One of the few areas of consistency has been James Harden’s ability to rack up points on a daily basis. He has eclipsed the 31.5-point plateau in six straight games and in 14 of his 29 games played this year. He’s on fire at the moment and will give Oklahoma City’s defense fits if he’s on his game.
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There is a definite correlation between scoring points and the time a player is on the court. Harden has been seeing well over 35 minutes of court time for most of the season. He has actually been on the court for over 40 minutes in four of the last five games. Harden has played in four games during the month of December in which he has played under 35 minutes. He was on the floor for 34 minutes last week against the Wizards and still managed to score 35. On December 11th, he saw 32 minutes of playing time versus Portland and scored 29. He only scored 15 points in 28 minutes of play versus Utah and he started the month of December with a 30-minute outing against Chicago in which he netted 30 points. All of this is to say that Harden will need to get a lot of playing time against Oklahoma if he’s going to go over his projected total.
It will also help his cause if he is able to drain a few from three-point land. He is usually a solid bet to take eleven or twelve shots from out there and he is coming off a game in which he had a season-high 19 attempts. He sunk seven of those shots, which was a significant portion of his 39 points scored. He’s been shooting the ball well from far out which should give him some confidence to go for three when he has the chance.
It won’t be a walk in the park for Harden as Oklahoma has one of the best defenses in the league. One thing that bodes well for those who want to take the over on this prop bet is the fact that Harden will be rested and Houston has beaten the Thunder nine times out of the last ten games played in Houston. This is a great spot for Harden to continue his elevated play and help carry the Rockets to their seventh win in their last eight games. It makes little sense to fade Harden at this particular moment. The over 31.5 will cash.
