We're ready to bring you another NBA betting prediction and pick as we head over to the Western Conference for this tilt between two ultra-competitive teams. The Oklahoma City Thunder (39-17) will take on the Houston Rockets (25-31) as the two teams continue their season series. Check out our NBA odds series for our Thunder-Rockets prediction and pick.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently first in the Northwest Division and are tied with the Timberwolves for the lead in the Western Conference. They're 7-3 in their last 10 games and have won their last four coming into this one. They dropped their first game against Houston and will be looking to get back at them in this one.
The Houston Rockets are third in the Southwest Division and hold the 12-spot in the Western Conference. They're just 3-7 in their last 10 games, but they come into this one following a huge 114-110 home win over the Phoenix Suns. They host the Thunder before going back to OKC with a chance to take a hold of this season series.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Thunder-Rockets Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder: -5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -212
Houston Rockets: +5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +177
Over: 235 (-110)
Under: 235 (-110)
How to Watch Thunder vs. Rockets
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT
TV: Bally Sports Southwest, Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Thunder are picking up right where they left off before the All-Star break and they've won their last two games over the Clippers and Wizards by a combined 63 points. In their last 147-106 win over Washington, they posted their highest point total of the season with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way with 30 points. He's firmly in the MVP conversation – the only thing holding him back from ganering more talk has been how well the Thunder have played as a team overall. With how many reinforcements SGA has, the sky is the limit for this young team.
The Thunder fell 101-110 to the Rockets in Houston the last time these two teams faced off. Gilgeous-Alexander managed another cool 33 points in that last contest, but his team failed to carry the load, posting 13 points as the next highest total. They certainly have the depth defensively to stifle this Rockets team over four quarters, so look for players like Jalen Williams to get active for them in the paint.
Why The Rockets Could Cover The Spread/Win
After coming back from All-Star Weekend to a 105-127 trouncing from the New Orleans Pelicans, the Houston Rockets responded well in their own building as they took down the Phoenix Suns 114-110 as four-point underdogs. It was a big opportunity for them facing a tired Phoenix team traveling the road and the Rockets responded in perfect fashion. They played their high-pace, fast passing style of basketball and Fred Van Vleet shined with 23 points in the win. Jabari Smith Jr. also had a monster day with 22 points and 16 rebounds, fulling taking advantage of his mismatch down low.
Both Dillon Brooks and Alperen Sengun had a ton of success against this Thunder team their first time facing them. Their physical style of play is problematic for Oklahoma City and while the Thunder get to the line at a high rate, they also send opponents to the charity stripe for opportunities of their own. If Sengun and Brooks can frustrate the Thunder and turn this into a scrappy game, they could have a chance to cover the spread here.
Final Thunder-Rockets Prediction & Pick
This will be an exciting matchup as both of these teams are coming in off solid wins. The Rockets own this series so far and they're happy to be hosting at home where they have a 20-9 record on the season. They're also great at covering the spread at home and it'll be interesting to see how much of a role the home crowd plays in this divisional game.
Fred Van Vleet stands to have another big performance in this game, but he may struggle with the size of the backcourt for Oklahoma City. Expect Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to exploit the size mismatch and play much of this game in the post or mid-range.
For our prediction, we're going to roll with the Oklahoma City Thunder to cover the spread and grab this win on the road. It won't be easy with how good Houston's been at home this year, but the matchups 1-5 favor the Thunder and they should have the advantage rebounding the ball with their size. As long as they can stay out of foul trouble, they should win this game.
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Final Thunder-Rockets Prediction & Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder -5.5 (-110)
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