With the NBA Playoffs just weeks away, most fans have their eyes on a select group of teams to make some noise in the chase for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Key takeaways
- A Nevada-based bettor could find himself with a big payday if the Rockets win their 3rd ever NBA Title.
- Despite sitting 2nd in the NBA’s Western Conference, the Rockets find themselves undervalued as potential Larry O’Brien threats.
- Houston's path to the Finals could still prove too much for an inexperienced group and is the biggest question mark ahead of the NBA Playoffs
Popular NBA Playoff picks include the newly revamped L.A. Lakers, the MVP-favorite-led Oklahoma City Thunder, or even last year’s defending champion Boston Celtics.
Those teams, all atop or right near the leaderboard summit for betting odds at Caesars Sportsbook, largely appear reasonable choices to be crowned champions. One shrewd bettor, however, likes the look of a different squad, which may just be the NBA’s most disrespected club at this stage of the season.
Coming off four straight playoff misses, the Houston Rockets quietly caught fire recently, and with a 52-27 record heading into Tuesday’s games, sit with a comfortable four-game cushion for 2nd place in the NBA’s Western Conference.
That prompted one bettor in the Nevada sports betting market to drop a massive $5.6k bet on the Rockets to take home their 3rd ever NBA title, with a potentially massive $700,000 payout thanks to their longshot +12500 odds at the time of betting.
A bettor out of NV wagered $5.6K on the Houston Rockets (+12500) to win the NBA Finals 😯
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) April 5, 2025
Potential Win: $700,000 🤯 pic.twitter.com/7PM5Y7rWvp
Funny enough, despite rapid ascension to the NBA’s elite, the Rockets are still in similar territory with their current NBA Championship odds. As of Tuesday, H-Town currently owns the 9th shortest odds to win at +6000, matching the 7th-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves and behind the Lakers and Golden State Warriors, both still trailing the Rockets.
“We’ve been harping on that since (the last) 20 games. Just to get better in many ways toward the end of the season,” Rockets head coach Ime Udokah said recently as the Rockets enter the stretch run of their season. “Staying healthy and playing your best going into the playoffs are two goals, and both have been met. Possessing the depth we do while also anticipating what is ahead is a luxury. We want to play good basketball, tighten up, and start feeling like we’re in the playoffs.”
Could Houston actually do it?
While the Rockets continue to climb the ranks, it’s perhaps no accident oddsmakers hesitate to give them much when pricing their championship odds.
As the 2-seed, assuming all goes according to plan and the playoffs started today, the Rockets' path to an NBA final likely goes through either the Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies, both with greater playoff experience thanks to recent runs behind shooting guard Anthony Edwards and point guard Ja Morant, respectively.
Even as hypothetical favorites, the Rockets' young group, led by shooting guard Jalen Green and center Alperen Sengun, lack playoff basketball exposure, no doubt making them a tough sell outright.
A date with LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and the rest of the Lakers would even tougher, and even if they can withstand that, a showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder likely tilts heavily to the NBA’s best team on paper.
It’s a tall task to ask of a young, formidable, but ultimately extremely fresh-faced group only scratching the surface of what their future holds. For now, however, a lack of true MVP-level talent makes a playoff run for the ages something of a far-fetched scenario for Houston fans.
