| Game Time | 8:30 pm EST |
| Houston Rockets Line | +5.5 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder Line | -5.5 |
| Total | 213.5 |
| TV: | NBA TV |
In this Western Conference NBA Cup Final in Las Vegas, the Oklahoma City Thunder are facing the Houston Rockets, in a clash between the two best teams currently in the West. The Thunder eliminated the Mavericks in the quarterfinals of the Cup and have been red-hot once again, having lost only once in their last nine games, as they sit on the top of the West. The Rockets eliminated the Warriors in the Cup quarterfinals, and have now back-to-back wins following a two-game losing streak. The winner of this matchup will face the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks matchup for the NBA Cup Final on Tuesday.
Below is a detailed analysis for Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder game.
Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction
Oklahoma City Thunder Injury Report: Osmani Dieng, Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, Nikola Topic, Alex Ducas, Adam Flager are out.
Houston Rockets Injury Report: Dillon Brooks is day-to-day.
Oklahoma City Thunder Form and Trends
The Oklahoma City Thunder has 19-5 record this season and are sitting in the first place of the West. The Thunder are 15-7-1 against the spread and 11-13 in over/under. OKC has a 9-3 road record and are 8-4 against the spread, with a +11.6-point differential. Oklahoma City is 8-1 in their last 9 games, and 5-1 against the spread in their last 6.
The Thunder are coming off a 118-104 win over Dallas, even though they shot worse than the Mavs from the field (46% to 48%). All of OKC’s starters reached double digits, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 39 points with 5 triples, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
Shai leads the Thunder both in scoring with 30.2 points, and in assists made with 6.3, adding 5.4 rebounds per game. Jalen Williams adds 21.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5 assists per game.
Houston Rockets Recent Form and Trends
The Rockets have a 17-8 record this season and are tied with the Grizzlies on the second place of the West. Houston is 16-9 against the spread and 12-13 in over/under. The Rockets have a 7-5 road record, and are 7-5 against the spread, with a +2.9-point differential. The Rockets are 7-3 in their last 10 games, but 1-3 against the spread in their last 4. Over is 5-2 in their last 7 games.
The Rockets are coming off a 91-90 win over Golden State, as they shot with 46% from the field, but struggling from beyond the arc, with just 22%. Alperen Sengun led Houston’s offense with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists.
Jalen Green leads the Rockets in scoring with an average of 19.2 points and 4.7 rebounds. Alperen Sengun adds 18.8 points, 5.3 assists and a team-high 10.6 rebounds.
Statistical Breakdown
Offensively, the Thunder are scoring 115.8 points per game, ranking 10th in the league. They shoot 46.5% from the field (12th) and 35% from beyond the arc (19th). Defensively, they are the second-best team in the NBA, allowing 103.8 points per game.
Offensively, the Rockets average 112.7 point per game, ranking 13th in the league. Houston does not shoot the ball very well, with just 44% from the field (27th) and 32.7% from beyond the arc (26th). Defensively, they are third-best in the league, allowing 105.9 points per game.
Both teams are tied 1-1 wins so far this season, with each one having won at home. The Thunder won by 126-107 and the Rockets by 119-116. The Thunder are 5-3 against the spread in their last 8 meetings. Over is 3-0 in their last 3 meetings.
Prediction
In this Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction, the Thunder are coming as -5.5 favorites. The Thunder are rightfully favored as they are having a dominant season so far, but the spread feels a bit too high, when they are playing against the second-best team of the West. Both teams had low scoring games in the Cup Quarterfinals, as the games were having a playoff-type atmosphere, and both teams also have the second and third-best defense in the league. The Rockets also struggle with their shooting this season, ranking on the bottom-5 of the NBA both in field goal and in 3-point percentage. I expect a low scoring affair tonight, so I’m taking the under 213.5 points.
Nick’s Pick: Under 213.5