It's been relatively smooth sailing so far for the Golden State Warriors without injured star Steph Curry. They'll be put to the test, though, when they kick off a 5-game road trip starting Saturday against the Houston Rockets.
My Warriors vs Rockets prediction targets the total, as these West foes have been leaning in on the defensive side of things early in the season.
Read below for my free preview and NBA picks.
Warriors vs Rockets prediction
My best bet
Under 216 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
With Steph Curry still sidelined by an ankle injury, the Golden State Warriors have locked down the opposition.
They're coming off a two-game mini sweep over New Orleans with a 104-89 win, the second time this season they've held an opponent under 90 points, and no team has yet to hit 107 points against the Warriors.
Golden State is one of two teams in the NBA holding teams to under 100 points per game on the season, and it ranks second in both field goal (41.1%) and 3-point shooting (28.3%).
Surprisingly, it hasn't come at the expense of the offense, which ranks third in scoring at 119.8 points per game, still leading the league in assists at 31.6 per contest while sitting seventh in 3-point percentage at a 39.1% clip.
The Houston Rockets are coming off back-to-back wins over their Texas triangle counterparts, most recently dispatching the Dallas Mavericks 108-102.
The Rockets are fourth in the league in scoring defense, holding teams to 106 points per contest, with no opponent clearing 109 points yet.
They're not as offensively polished as the Warriors, ranking 23rd in scoring at 110.6 points per game, but they make up for it with brutish play inside.
Houston is tied for the league lead in offensive rebounding and is putting up better than 20 second-chance points per game.
With both teams showing a grittier side early and Curry still out, the Warriors' defensive mindset should continue as they hit the road, and they'll be running into a team with the fourth-slowest pace in the league.
The Warriors have hit the Under in three of their last four, while the Rockets have cashed the Under ticket in four of their last five.
Warriors vs Rockets same-game parlay
Jalen Green Over 23.5 points
Draymond Green Over 0.5 threes
Under 216 points
It's been a breakout year for Rockets guard Jalen Green, who leads the Rockets in scoring and sits 10th in the NBA at 27.6 points per game, albeit at a volume clip of 43.1%.
He's led the Rockets in scoring in every game and has topped his 23.5 line set for Saturday three times, missing it by a bucket on two other occasions.
Only five other players are averaging more shots than Green's 21.8, so don't expect him to be bashful against the Dubs.
Forced to come out of his defensive and setup man shell with Steph injured, Draymond Green has become an unlikely source of offense, particularly beyond the arc.
Draymond went 3-for-5 from distance last game against the Pelicans, and he's shooting 50% from 3-point range this year, albeit on just 2.4 attempts.
Green has hit at least one 3-pointer in four of five games this year, so we'll bank on him staying hot from beyond the arc.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Warriors vs Rockets odds
Warriors vs Rockets live odds
Warriors vs Rockets opening odds
- Spread: Golden State +5.5 (-110) | Houston -5.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Golden State +190 | Houston -250
- Over/Under: Over 218.5 (-110) | Under 218.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Warriors vs Rockets spread and Over/Under analysis
- Golden State is 4-1-0 against the spread this season.
- Houston is 1-1 at home this year
- The Under has cashed in four of six head-to-head meetings
- Ten of the Rockets' last 12 home games have gone Over the total
Warriors vs Rockets trend
The road team has covered the spread in each of the last four games between Golden State and Houston. Find more NBA betting trends for Warriors vs Rockets.. Find more NBA betting trends for Warriors vs. Rockets.
How to watch Warriors vs Rockets
| Location: | Toyota Center, Houston, TX |
| Date: | Saturday, 11-2-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBC Sports Bay Area, Space City Network |
Warriors vs Rockets latest injuries
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