Don't be sad because it's Monday. Instead, rejoice for an intriguing Western Conference clash between a pair of postseason hopefuls! The Houston Rockets will take a trip to the Bay Area to do battle with the Golden State Warriors in what should be a diaper dandy. Join us for our NBA odds series where our Rockets-Warriors prediction and pick will be revealed.

Believe it or not, but the Rockets are slowly but surely heading in the right direction of a rebuild that has lasted multiple seasons. Indeed, Houston has compiled only 42 wins combined in their previous two campaigns but are already showing vast improvement on the basketball court. Despite losing back-to-back games, the Rockets were on a six-game winning streak before that. Fresh off of a last-second loss to the LA Lakers, can Houston get back on track to avoid a three-game losing streak?

Meanwhile, the Warriors have been far from full strength this year, and the results have shown that on the floor. With a losing record of 6-8, Draymond Green is continuing to serve a suspension after his involvement with the Minnesota Timberwolves. But at least Golden State will have Stephen Curry back in the lineup. All together, the Warriors are on a grueling six-game losing streak and need to get back to their winning ways before they fall too far behind.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Rockets-Warriors Odds

Houston Rockets: +7 (-110)

Golden State Warriors: -7 (-110)

Over: 219.5 (-108)

Under: 219.5 (-112)

How to Watch Rockets vs. Warriors

Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT

TV: Space City Network/NBC Sports Bay Area/NBA League Pass

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Rockets Could Cover The Spread

First things first, the Rockets are playing phenomenal ball of late, but the one facet of the game they need to gain an upper-hand in continuing to play extremely balanced. Furthermore, the Rockets have been winning when their entire starting lineup and even bench players are contributing to the best of their abilities. Despite losing to the Lakers on Sunday, Houston still saw four starters finish with double-digit points and will no doubt need to exceed their 104 point total in what is expected to be a high-scoring affair against the Warriors. Overall, looking for high-percentage and open looks on the offensive end of the floor will prove to be vital for Houston's chances of covering the spread.

Not to mention, but do the Rockets have enough gas in the tank with this being their third game in the last four nights? Without a doubt, there will be moments where Houston may feel fatigued, but the only choice that the Rockets have is to push on and attempt to give the Warriors all they can handle. If all else fails, feeding the big man down low in leading-scorer Alperen Sengun could prove to be a nice safety blanket. Only 21 years of age, the playmaking center is quickly establishing himself as a young star in this league with an average of 20.1 points per game.

Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread

On the other side of things, the Warriors can breathe a sigh of relief that they are beginning to return to full strength. Even though Draymond continues to serve out his suspension, the most obvious reason why Golden State has what it takes to cover the spread will be in large part due to the return of Stephen Curry. While this roster continues to age and its championship window is quickly closing, Curry remains at the peak of his game as a bonafide playmaker and sharpshooter from beyond the arc.

Bafflingly enough, the 35-year-old point guard played a season-high 40 minutes in his first game since returning to injury and he did not show any rust whatsoever on his way to a solid 25-point performance. Clearly, Curry is the heart and soul of this team and a monstrous shooting performance from one of the greatest point guards of all time could be just what the doctor ordered.

More specifically, if the Warriors are going to rediscover a ferocious urgency in an attempt to snap their dreadful losing streak, capitalizing at the free-throw line while stringing together stops will end up being the key to the game. As it stands, Golden State is shooing only 78% from the charity stripe while their defense is ranked near the bottom-half of the league when it comes to overall efficiency. Alas, forcing Houston to shot attempts late in the shot-clock while remaining aggressive offensively by driving to the hole and drawing fouls could be a formidable recipe for success on this Monday night.

Final Rockets-Warriors Prediction & Pick

While this one should be entertaining, Houston on short rest could find themselves in hot water on the road in a place where the where Golden State typically excels in. Because of this, expect Curry and company to be too much to overcome for an exhausted Rockets squad.

Final Rockets-Warriors Prediction & Pick: Warriors -7 (-110)