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Regular season games don’t get much bigger than this. Arguably the two best teams in the NBA will face off on Saturday when the defending champion Golden State Warriors hit the road to face off against the Houston Rockets.
Golden State has the best record in the NBA and will almost certainly finish with the top seed in the Western Conference in the playoffs. But the Rockets are currently in the No. 2 spot and have back star small forward James Harden.
While Houston lost some ground with Harden sidelined by a hamstring injury, they were rolling when he was healthy and should be a worthy adversary against the Golden State dynasty in this matchup. The Warriors have not been an underdog this season but playing Houston on the road could have the spread a small one in this one.
This war on the floor will go down Saturday, January 20, 2018, at 8:30 p.m. ET at the Toyota Center. The game will be televised live on ABC.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Saturday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Warriors are 37-9 straight up and 21-24-1 against the spread. Golden State has covered in half of their 24 road games this season. It will be interesting to see if the Warriors are the underdog for the first time this season, but it seems more likely they will be a small favorite.
The Rockets are 30-12 straight up and 20-21-1 against the spread. Houston has gone 8-12-1 against the spread at home this season. The Rockets are have only been the underdogs four times this season and have covered in one of those games.
Key Stat
0. That’s how many losses the Rockets have this season, in 16 games, when Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela are all in the lineup. They are healthy now and that’s why this game is so intriguing.
Harden played on Thursday and while he may not be in perfect shape for this one, it’s a huge boost to get him back. Paul missed the beginning of the season but has been back for several weeks. Capela is a nice role player.
The Warriors boast a dynamic quartet of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. But the Rockets have enough talent with Harden and Paul healthy to make this a fun game to watch.
Matchup To Watch
Harden vs. Durant — These are two of the best players in the NBA and former teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier in their careers. Both have moved on to new teams but continue to find tremendous success.
While they might not guard each other a lot, they are often the catalysts for their teams. Harden is averaging 32.3 points, 9.1 assists and 5.0 rebounds per contest. The Rockets’ offense is almost as efficient as the Warriors’ and he is the main reason why.
Durant is averaging 26.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three-point range. He is a matchup nightmare and a player the Rockets must keep in check.
Free NBA ATS Picks
This is a truly heavyweight battle and a possible Western Conference Finals preview. The Rockets are at home and will be playing some inspired ball as they aim to prove they are a legitimate adversary to the juggernaut Warriors.
This game means more to Houston, so take the Rockets to come away with a win at home. Golden State is the better team but Houston will be victorious on this night. Take the Rockets to cover the spread as well.
NBA Odds: Rockets 118, Warriors 113
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