A 14-game road winning streak hangs in the balance for the Golden State Warriors (37-9) when they meet the Houston Rockets (31-12) at Toyota Center. Golden State is a 4.5-point favorite on the opening line, while the games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 234 points. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 20, 2018.
Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets Betting Preview
In the Warriors last outing, they were victorious over the Chicago Bulls, 119-112. Klay Thompson was the top scorer from either team with 38 points on 12-for-22 shooting. The Warriors knocked down 22 of their 25 free throws (88.0 percent) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.577 vs. 0.472).
The Rockets will look to keep it rolling after blowing out the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last game, 116-98. Houston rallied around Eric Gordon, who was the games leading scorer with 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting. Houston played a nearly perfect game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 25.6 (above their season average of 22.6) and a turnover percentage of 8.6 (better than their season average of 13.0). For those same stats, Minnesota recorded marks of 19.0 and 10.9, respectively.
It might turn into a shootout as two of the leagues premier offenses square off. Houston ranks second with 113.2 points per 100 possessions and Golden State is first (114.0). Also, second chance points could be tough to come by for the Warriors. They rank 21st in the league in offensive rebounding percentage at 21.5 percent, while the Rockets are the best on the defensive glass (defensive rebounding percentage of 81.4 percent).
Of Golden State’s 46 games, 25 have finished over the O/U total, while 21 of Houston’s 43 games have finished over the projected point total. The Warriors have the better straight up (SU) record (37-9 vs. 31-12), but the Rockets have been better against the spread (ATS) (21-21-1 vs. 21-24-1).
Chris Paul has been exceptional over the last five games for Houston, averaging 24.2 points, 9.2 assists, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
These two teams have already met twice this year, each winning once. In the most recent contest, the Rockets lost 124-114, unable to cover as 4-point underdogs. Gordon led both teams with 30 points and also put up seven assists. The two teams combined to score 238 points, which was 7 points above the projected point total of 231 points. The Warriors played a nearly perfect game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 15.8 and a free throw rate of 0.172. The Rockets put up marks of 13.3 and 0.146, respectively, for those same stats.
Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Rockets, ATS Winner – Rockets, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Warriors average 7.9 blocks per game, which ranks first in the league. The Rockets rank 17th in blocks allowed per game (5.0).
- Houston ranks 12th in second chance points allowed per game (11.7) while Golden State ranks 27th (13.6).
- Houston ranks first in three pointers attempted per game (43.5) while Golden State ranks 17th in three pointers allowed per game (29.1).
- Houston ranks second in rebounds allowed per game (41.1) while Golden State ranks eighth (42.2).
- On the road, Golden State is 12-12 ATS with 14 overs and 10 unders.
- Houston is 9-12-1 ATS at home with 14 overs and 8 unders.
- When allowing less than 100 points, Golden State is 11-2 and Houston is 14-2.
- When reaching the century mark, the Rockets are 31-9 and the Warriors are 34-6.
- The Warriors average 44.9 points in the paint per game, which ranks 12th in the NBA. The Rockets rank 28th in points allowed in the paint per game (48.0).
- Houston averages 8.9 steals per game, which ranks fourth in the league. Golden State ranks 28th in steals allowed per game (8.7).
- The Warriors rank first in fast break points per game (20.9) while the Rockets rank 22nd in fast break points allowed per game (12.8).
- The Warriors rank first in assists per game (30.5) while the Rockets rank 15th (22.5).
- Houston ranks fifth in points off turnovers per game (18.1) while Golden State ranks 25th in points off turnovers allowed per game (18.7).
Betting Trends:
- Houston is 4-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Golden State is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- The Rockets average margin of victory in their last five games has been 8.4, up from 7.8 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Warriors have scored an average of 115.6 points per game (0.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 112.8 points per game (5.9 above their season average).
