Can anyone stop the Houston Rockets? The Rockets are shaping up as a legitimate contender to the Golden State Warriors’ throne as they are in the midst of one of the most impressive winning streaks in recent years. The dominant stretch has pushed them up to the best record in the NBA and they can stay there by knocking off the San Antonio Spurs next time out.
The Spurs were also expected to be in the top tier of the Western Conference but a rash of injuries has them closer to missing the playoffs then competing for a top seed. San Antonio will be a heavy underdog in this contest as the team inferior team that is also playing on the road.
The Rockets are trying to hold off the Warriors for the top seed in the playoffs and lately have done a great job of remaining on top even as Golden State has turned up the heat.
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Odds Analysis
The Spurs are 37-27 straight up and 30-30-4 against the spread on the year. They have covered in 14 of 33 attempts on the road this year with two pushes. San Antonio is 9-9-1 against the spread as the underdog on the season.
The Rockets are a sparkling 51-13 straight up and have gone 34-29-1 against the spread. Houston has covered in two consecutive games in NBA betting. The Rockets are just 12-18-1 attempting to cover at home this year. They are 32-26-1 against the spread as the favorite.
Key Stat
17. That’s the number of wins the streak has reached for Houston. The team’s incredible run began all the way back on January 28 when it beat the Suns by double-digits. The Rockets went undefeated throughout February and now have made it halfway through March without a blemish.
The winning streak includes impressive victories over the Celtics, Spurs, Cavaliers, Heat, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Thunder and Bucks. The win over San Antonio came by a 102-91 margin on the road, as Houston proved it could win a game without playing at a breakneck pace.
James Harden has led the way for Houston with a season that is expected to result in him winning the MVP award. Harden is averaging 30.9 points, 8.9 assists and 5.2 rebounds per contest. Point guard Chris Paul has been a huge addition, and when the two have been healthy at the same time the Rockets have been nearly unstoppable.
Player To Watch
LaMarcus Aldridge -- The Spurs will need to slow down the game and get into a halfcourt matchup in order to have a chance at keeping this one close. When they get into a game like that the offense generally runs through Aldridge, their all-star power forward. He has taken on greater importance this season as small forward Kawhi Leonard has missed the majority of the season with a quadriceps injury.
Aldridge needs to convert efficiently because there is little question the Rockets are going to be scoring well as they are one of the highest-scoring teams in the league.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Rockets are a well-oiled machine at this point, and even a defense as solid as San Antonio puts out there will have a tough time slowing them down. Harden has shown the ability to get into the lane against anybody, and he should be able to carve up the Spurs.
Take the Rockets to cruise to the victory in this showdown, further proving they have what it takes to set up a premier NBA Western Conference Finals matchup against the Warriors. Houston is the choice to cover in NBA betting odds.
NBA Odds: Rockets 109, Spurs 97
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