Oklahoma City is statistically better than Houston in nearly every category. Stats matter far less than actual matchups, however, which is why I’m taking the Thunder to cover the spread against the Rockets. OKC is the more experienced team and the more talented one. The teams looked pretty evenly matched in the narrow Houston win just a couple of weeks ago, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has really ramped up his play lately, Isaiah Hartenstein is fitting into OKC’s lineup like a tailored glove, and Jalen Williams is making his case to be a first-time All-Star. Despite Houston’s talented young roster, they’re still a couple of years behind the Thunder, and on a bigger stage like this one, the better team will win out.