The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away late in the game in San Antonio last night as they managed to cool off the Spurs for a 146-132 victory. OKC’s offense has been the highest-scoring in the NBA since teams returned from the NBA All-Star Break, but their defense has been pretty lackluster. The Thunder get the opportunity Monday night to test just how good that offense is and whether or not the defense can get back on track as they host the Houston Rockets.
There are a lot of question marks on the injury reports for both teams, but regardless of who plays, I’m anticipating a close matchup. OKC and Houston have arguably the top two defenses in the NBA, but the Thunder haven’t exactly been playing like it lately. OKC’s offense is the highest-scoring in the league since returning from the All-Star Break, but the defense is giving up a ridiculous amount of points. The Thunder’s defense is going to have to slow down Houston’s athleticism, or this is going to turn into another shootout. Either way, I’ve got OKC winning the game, but I do think the Rockets keep it to single digits.
View More Oklahoma City Thunder | Thunder Back in OKC as a Near Double-Digit Favorite Over Rockets
The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets meet in the NBA Cup Semifinal in Las Vegas on Saturday night in what should be yet another exciting matchup between two of the top teams in Western Conference and two of the best defenses in the entire league. Both teams feature young rosters with a lot of talent, but OKC has quite a bit more experience across the board when it comes to the big stage.
View More Oklahoma City Thunder | Game #25 Preview – NBA Cup Semifinal: Houston Rockets
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.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | OKC Favored in NBA Cup Semifinal Against Houston
The Oklahoma City Thunder closes out their 4-game road trip on Sunday night in Houston as the take on the Rockets. The Thunder has picked up wins in Sacramento against the Kings, in San Francisco against the Warriors, and in Los Angeles against the Lakers, and they are hoping to do the same in Houston.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered their first loss of the season on Wednesday—a 124-122 decision in Denver against the Nuggets—and now they look to maintain their unbeaten streak at home as they play host to the Houston Rockets on Friday night.
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OKC and Houston are very similar in a lot of ways, but the Thunder is definitely a more advanced version. I feel like it’s a 50/50 shot that OKC wins by double-digits, but at the same time, it could be a very close game, and that’s what I’m leaning towards. 8.5 points seems like 4 points too many for me, so I’m going to take Houston to cover in a game where OKC will win by 4 or 5 points.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | OKC Should Expect a Close One Against Rockets
I took the Thunder to cover at -5.5 last night after the win over the Pelicans in New Orleans, and the line has already moved quite a bit in OKC’s direction. I still feel pretty good about the cover, despite the fact that they had to travel back to OKC last night only to play again tonight. Houston is coming off a day of rest, but they’re missing Alperen Sengun, who has been particularly bothersome to the Thunder. Still, the Rockets have won 9 in a row and 11 of their last 13, and they’re just one game back of the Golden State Warriors from the play-in. Regardless, I’m taking OKC to take care of business at home and cover the spread, even if it’s not by much.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | OKC Faces Tough Cover at Home in SEGABABA Against Soaring Rockets
I feel extremely confident in saying that OKC will win this game, but it has a perfect recipe for being unnecessarily close. The Thunder destroyed the Rockets less than two weeks ago, this is the final game before the break, and OKC is a double-digit favorite. While the Thunder should blow out the Rockets for the second time this month, I’m thinking Houston manages to keep within arm’s reach before OKC hits a few free throws at the end to win by 8 or 9 points. Despite the Thunder being the best in the league at covering the spread, I’m going to give Houston the cover tonight.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | Not Sure OKC Covers At Home Against Houston
The Oklahoma City Thunder continues to stay in within arm’s reach of a playoff spot, and as they hover close to .500 on the season, they can get a little bit closer on Wednesday night as they play their final game before heading into the NBA All-Star Break. For the second time in less than two weeks, the Thunder will host the Houston Rockets, who hold claim to the worst record in the NBA standings right now.
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