The Golden State Warriors are 12-1 straight up and 9-4 against the spread in their last 13 games against the Houston Rockets. The Warriors begin their NBA title defense this Saturday in Game 1 against the Rockets.
Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors 2016 odds: NBA playoff betting preview
The Golden State Warriors look to carry their regular season success into the playoffs against the Houston Rockets on Saturday afternoon.
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Golden State is a 13-point home favorite in Saturday’s series opening game at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Warriors have been double-digit favorites in 14 of their last 15 games at home.
The Warriors bounced back nicely from two losses in three games at the start of April, going 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS over their last four games with two wins each over San Antonio and Memphis.
Golden State clinched the NBA record for wins in a regular season with 73, wrapping up a remarkable 73-9 SU and 43-36-3 ATS campaign. With the pressure and media coverage of the regular season record now behind them, the Warriors can turn their attention to winning the NBA championship.
In their 2015 NBA championship run, the Warriors went 16-5 SU and 11-10 ATS per the OddsShark NBA Database. The Warriors beat the Rockets in five games in the conference finals, but Houston held a 3-2 ATS edge in the series.
The Rockets battled through a disappointing regular season to edge out the Utah Jazz for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, finishing the year with a 41-41 SU and 36-45-1 ATS record.
Houston shook off a 5-9 SU and ATS slump that put its playoff spot in jeopardy with a 3-0 SU and ATS record over the team’s last three games, winning all three by at least 20 points. The Rockets will try to carry that late momentum into an improbable upset against the Warriors.
Saturday’s total is set at 225 points. The OVER is 4-1 in Golden State’s last five home games and 16-8 in Houston’s last 24 road games.
Golden State has played Houston well in recent seasons and is 7-0 SU and 4-3 ATS in its last seven home games against the Rockets. Houston will need to play much better defense than it did in the regular season to have a shot in Game 1 or any other game in the series.
