The Houston Rockets have surprised the NBA by surpassing the Golden State Warriors for the top spot in the Western Conference as the stretch run beckons. While the Rockets aren’t going to be the favorites to win the title come postseason, home court advantage throughout the playoffs would be a big help.
Houston can stay ahead if it can win next time out against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Rockets are at home and are the superior team, so they will be favored. The Timberwolves have also had a good season, though, and would love to pull this upset as they are pushing the San Antonio Spurs for the No. 3 seed in the West.
These are two of the best teams in the NBA and this should be an intriguing matchup with plenty of star power.
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Odds Analysis
The Timberwolves are 36-25 straight up and 28-31-2 against the spread. Minnesota has gone 13-16-1 against the spread on the road this season. The Timberwolves have covered in half of their 20 games as the underdog this season. Minnesota has struggled lately, failing to cover in their past five outings.
The Rockets are 44-13 straight up and 28-28-1 against the spread. Houston has only gone 11-17-1 against the spread at home on the season. The Rockets are 26-25-1 against the spread as the favorite this season.
Key Stat
10. That’s the number of wins in a row for the Rockets, as they headed into the All-Star Break on a hot streak. Houston has really excelled this season when its stars James Harden and Chris Paul have been healthy, and that has been the case during this run.
The Rockets have won six of these games by double digits. Harden is playing like an MVP candidate this season, averaging 31.3 points, 9.0 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. Paul has been a great addition, as he is averaging 19.2 points and 8.3 assists.
The Rockets have a plus-8.7 point differential average this season, which is the best mark in the NBA, more reason to believe they are a legitimate challenger to Golden State’s throne. Houston will aim for another win in this one.
Previous Meeting
These teams squared off just two games ago in Minnesota. Even though the Rockets were on the road, they had no trouble taking care of business in a 126-108 decision. Houston only led by two points heading into the fourth quarter but dominated the final stanza to cruise to the win.
Harden had 34 points and the Rockets shot 47 percent from three-point range. Houston takes a ton of three-pointers, and when it is hitting at that pace the team is nearly unbeatable. The Rockets only turned the ball over six times, and Minnesota’s failure to pick up the defense resulted in the loss.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The T-Wolves missed out on their chance to beat the Rockets at home and it will get even harder on the road. Minnesota has an impressive trio in Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins, and they have the capability to keep the team in the contest.
However, the Rockets are rolling and should be able to take care of business at home. Minnesota could be a good choice to cover as it may be able to hang around behind a big game from Towns.
NBA Odds: Rockets 120, Timberwolves 111
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