NBA Playoffs Betting: Rockets at Warriors
Everything is coming up roses for the Houston Rockets. They smacked the Warriors around in Game 4 to stave off elimination in the Western Finals, James Harden racked a playoff career-high 45 points, and big man Dwight Howard avoided a one-game suspension for a flagrant elbow thrown into Andrew Bogut’s grill. That’s the good news. The bad news for Houston is they still trail Golden State 3-1 and must travel back to Oakland for Game 5 for another win-or-else matchup. Steph Curry appears to have dodged serious injury after landing awkwardly on his neck in Game 4. He missed 12 minutes before returning, but at that point the margin was already a tad too hefty to overcome. The Warriors don’t want to mess around in this series because the Rockets are a resilient bunch. Just ask the Clippers. Here’s a preview of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
HOUSTON AT GOLDEN STATE -10.5
James Harden is proof positive why it’s imperative to have at least one superstar on teams seeking an NBA title. His Game 4 performance was one for the books and it’s what’s been missing from Houston in this series. Aiding Harden in his efforts were Josh Smith and Terrence Jones, whom combined for 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Speaking of Smith, the team has taken 11 of 15 when he nets 15 or more points. Hitting 17-32 from beyond the arc also helped the cause greatly. That said, if it takes a herculean game from Harden for the Rockets to beat Golden State, they are swimming against the current. Harden is elite, but it’s unlikely he’ll ring up 40 points in the scoring column again. Forget about defense, out running-n-gunning the Warriors is the best way to defeat them.
Curry’s injury scare was a fly in Golden Stat’s ointment, but it did allow Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes to snap mini slumps. The duo knocked down 8-17 three-point attempts and was largely responsible for slicing a 23-point first quarter deficit to 10 at halftime. There was also an Andre Iguodala sighting, who went for 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. That’s the perfect Iggy statline even though it came in a losing cause. If he can become more of a factor, the Warriors’ paper thin bench will take some much needed heat off the starting five. Bad Andrew Bogut was back in Game 4, posting his second zero on the scoreboard in the series; he was pushed around by Howard and clearly affected by the elbow shot. The Warriors can’t allow an abundance of open looks and must make more than 13 trips to the free-throw stripe.
Houston has dropped six of ten on the road, but is 6-1 ATS in its last seven overall. Golden State is 2-8 ATS in its last ten at home, but have lost only once at home since January 27. Big number here for the Warriors to cover.
Bet Houston +10.5
