The Houston Rockets are 6-1 straight up and 5-2 against the spread over their last seven postseason games. The Rockets will face their biggest postseason test yet this Monday night when they host the Golden State Warriors in the opener of the Western Conference Finals.
Rockets vs. Warriors 2018 odds: Houston a small NBA betting favorite at home for Game 1
The Rockets hope to carry momentum into the Western Conference Finals against the Warriors, with the sportsbooks giving them a small edge on the odds.
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Houston is a 1.5-point home favorite in Game 1 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. In the three regular season meetings between the Warriors and the Rockets, Houston was the underdog in every game but still managed to win the season series 2-1.
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets
When: Monday, May 14, 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Betting Line / Total: Houston -1.5 / 204.5 Points
Houston Rockets
The Rockets shook off a surprising 116-108 loss at home in Game 2 against the Utah Jazz with three straight double-digit wins to wrap up the series in five games. On a night in which James Harden had a rare off night in Game 5 shooting 7-for-22 from the floor and scoring only 18 points, Chris Paul picked up the slack with a 41-point night that included an 8-for-10 mark from three-point range.
Houston’s depth should make the Rockets a legitimate threat to the defending champions, but they can’t afford many off nights from their top stars.
Houston is 0-3 SU and ATS in its last three games as a home favorite of 2.5 points or less but was 7-3 SU and ATS in its previous 10 such games per the OddsShark NBA Database.
Golden State Warriors
Like the Rockets, Golden State had one slip up in both the first round and the second round before eventually closing out each of those series in five games.
Steph Curry had his best game of the postseason so far in the Warriors’ Game 5 win over New Orleans, scoring 28 points while also picking up seven rebounds and eight assists. The Warriors are 9-3 SU and ATS in their last 12 games in Houston.
Monday night’s total is set at 224 points. The UNDER is 5-1 in the last six games between these two teams in Houston.
This series should be a treat for basketball fans. The two top teams in the NBA clash and both are at full strength with no injury issues holding any key players back. The potential is here for an instant classic as the defending champions face the one team on paper that looks like it can match up.
For more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news check out the OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes or listen to it at OddsShark.libsyn.com.
