The San Antonio Spurs have been the main contender to Golden State’s Western Conference thrown for the past couple of years, but the Houston Rockets have taken that title in 2017-18. Houston will aim to prove that in a resounding way this week when they travel to take on the Spurs in San Antonio.
The Rockets are healthy once again, and with star James Harden back in the lineup they are playing at an extremely high level. The Spurs have put together a good season but are still without their best player, Kawhi Leonard, which could make them the rare home underdog in this matchup.
It’s never easy for an opponent to win in San Antonio but the Rockets have the type of personnel to come away victorious if they play well.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, February 1, 2018, at 8 p.m. ET at the AT&T Center. The game will be televised live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Rockets are 35-13 straight up and 23-24-1 against the spread. They have covered in 13 of 23 road games on the season. Houston is 21-21-1 against the spread as the favorite.
The Spurs are 33-19 straight up and 26-22-4 against the spread. San Antonio is 16-7-2 against the spread at home and 6-6-1 against the spread as the underdog.
The Rockets have gone “under” the scoring total five more times than it has gone “over,” while the Spurs have gone “under” 10 more times, so that’s something to remember when the scoring total is released.
Injury Report
Kawhi Leonard continues to be sidelined indefinitely with a quad injury. He was only expected to miss the preseason with the injury but then it affected his return early in the year. Leonard returned but then suffered a shoulder injury. After he got back from that, Leonard suffered a setback with the quad, and now he’s out again. So it has not been the season he has envisioned.
Leonard has put up only 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest, which are far cries from the fantastic numbers he put up a season ago. There is also speculation about a rift with the organization, and there are rumors Leonard wants out.
This is a situation to watch closely moving forward. When it comes to this game, Leonard is not expected to play, which is a big loss for San Antonio.
Key Stat
97.4. That’s the number of points the Spurs allow per game, which is the best mark in the NBA. Coach Gregg Popovich is a fantastic tactician and even without Leonard the team has been stingy.
This is an interesting showdown because the Rockets are second in the NBA in scoring with an average of 114.1 points per contest. Harden is leading the way with 30.9 points per contest while adding 9.0 assists and 4.9 rebounds.
Eric Gordon is second on the team in scoring at 19.5 points per game while Chris Paul contributes 19.4 points per contest. Houston runs and guns whenever it can and will aim to push the tempo.
The Spurs, meanwhile, would prefer to slow it down. It will be interesting to see which side can impose its will.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Spurs are so tough at home, and even without Leonard they will be hard to beat. However, the Rockets are playing at a high level and look like the second best team in the NBA at this juncture.
Leonard’s absence is huge. The Rockets have the best player on the court in Harden and he should help lead his team to a crucial road win. Take Houston to win and cover the spread as long as it’s not too large.
NBA Odds: Rockets 107, Spurs 102
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