The Houston Rockets are 11-3 straight up and 10-3-1 against the spread in their last 14 games against the Oklahoma City Thunder. All three of those outright losses came in Oklahoma City, where the Rockets will try to earn a 3-0 series lead with a win this Friday night in Game 3.
Rockets vs. Thunder, NBA playoff 2017 odds: Houston a small road underdog for Game 3
The Houston Rockets will be looking to take a 3-0 stranglehold in their series with the Oklahoma City Thunder with a victory in Game 3 on Friday night.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Houston is a 2.5-point road underdog in Oklahoma City at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Rockets are 5-4 SU and 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine games as a road underdog.
Houston Rockets
After blowing Oklahoma City away in a 118-87 victory in Game 1, the Rockets were tested a lot harder in Game 2. The Thunder jumped out to a 16-4 lead in the game and held a 68-62 lead at the end of the first half, but Houston turned things around and edged out a 115-111 win at home behind a 35-point night from James Harden.
The competitive nature of Game 2 suggests that the next two games in Oklahoma City may not be easy for the higher-seeded Rockets.
Despite having three straight wins and a 6-2 SU record over their last eight games, the Rockets are just 1-9-1 ATS over their last 11 games overall per the OddsShark NBA Database.
Betting Line / Total: Oklahoma City -2.5 / 224 Points
Trend: The Rockets are 7-1-1 in their last nine games as road underdogs.
Trend: The UNDER is 3-0 in the Rockets’ last three games at Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Russell Westbrook did what he does best in Game 2, carrying the offense with 51 points while adding 10 rebounds and 13 assists. The Thunder scored 68 points in the first half, but were held to just 21 points in the third quarter and 22 points in the fourth quarter.
Now Oklahoma City will try to turn the series around at home, where it is 28-13 SU and 26-15 ATS. In their last seven games as a home favorite of seven points or less, the Thunder are 5-2 SU and ATS.
Friday night’s total is set at 224 points. The UNDER is 3-0 in Houston’s last three games in Oklahoma City.
After a dud of a game in Game 1, Game 2 provided the excitement that fans and bettors were expecting from this series with Harden and Westbrook going toe to toe all night long. With the home crowd in Oklahoma City behind them, look for the Thunder to put up a strong fight again in Game 3.
Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder
When: Friday, April 21, 9:30 p.m. ET
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
