We had a shootout when these teams met last, back in January. The Thunder won that game 116-108, but failed to cover the 8.5-point spread. Oklahoma City will get another pass at covering against Houston on Tuesday.
You can bet on NBA odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Rockets are just 30-40 ATS this season, but they’re only a couple games under .500 on the road. Nevertheless, the recent past hasn’t been too good to them, as they’ve covered the spread in just one of the team’s last five games.
On the other side, Oklahoma City stands 6-2 ATS in its last eight games. Overall, they’re’ 27-9 SU as hosts but just 17-18 ATS.
WHEN THE HOUSTON ROCKETS ARE ON OFFENSE
With 28.6 PPG, Rockets guard James Harden is second in the NBA in scoring, behind Stephen Curry and just ahead of the Thunders’ Kevin Durant.
Harden, almost single-handedly, has led the Rockets to 106.1 PPG, the fourth most in the sport. His 7.2 APG also rank him in the top-10 in that category.
The superstar, however, is dealing with a sprained left-ankle and is questionable to play on Tuesday. His health status may be the single biggest question heading into the matchup. If he’s out, back the Thunder heavy, if he plays, keep an eye on how he’s running.
If the injury takes anything away from him, the Thunder are in position to take advantage given they’ve got a star guard of their own in Russell Westbrook.
Houston’s last game came on Saturday, against Atlanta. The Rockets lost that game, but Michael Beasley came up big off the bench, scoring 30-points. Beasley’s played in just eight games this season, but his performance on Saturday showed that the rust may be off.
If Beasley can continue play at his peak and look like that bright young star from his days in Miami and Minnesota at the beginning of his career, he could be a key piece inside against Kevin Durant and the Thunder.
Joining Beasley inside is center Dwight Howard. Howard’s a huge rebounding force, but he’s also averaging 14.5 PPG. Howard is shooting 61.3 percent from the floor while Beasley is shooting 55.7 percent.
WHEN THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER ARE ON OFFENSE
The Thunder is only being outscored by the Warriors. Oklahoma City is averaging 110.2 PPG and shooting 47.7 percent from the floor.
Oklahoma City will have a nice chance to put up some impressive numbers on offense as Houston is allowing 107 PPG and permitting the opposition to shoot 46.3 percent on field goals.
The Thunder certainly has the offense to take advantage of that. They’ve got one of the most dynamic combinations in the sport with Durant and Westbrook. Durant is third in the NBA with 28 PPG, meanwhile, Westbrook is No. 9 with 23.8 PPG. Westbrook is also second in assists with 10.4 per game.
As a team, the Thunder dominates the glass with an average of 48.6 RPG. They don’t have a top-five rebounder like Dwight Howard, but Durant and Westbrook, alongside forward Serge Ibaka and centers Enes Kanter and Steven Adams are all averaging at least 6.5 RPG.
Overall, you can bank on strong rebounding and a prolific offense in Oklahoma City. If the Rockets get out to a fast start behind Harden, Howard and Beasley, look to back the Thunder on a depressed spread; Durant and Westbrook will get their points.
BETTING TRENDS AND MATCHUPS
Health permitting, keep a close eye on the matchup between Harden and Westbrook outside. In their January meeting, Harden beat out Westbrook in scoring 33-points to 26, but Westbrook notched a triple-double with 10 rebounds and 14 assists. Harden had seven of each.
Houston has Howard as a strong second player and a nice piece inside, but he scored just eight points with eight rebounds the last time these teams met. The Thunder, meanwhile, had four players with double-digit rebounds, including Durant who also scored 33-points. Durant inside against Howard and Beasley could be a very crucial matchup, too.
For those looking to bet on the total, you can bank on plenty of offense, but keep tabs on those other than Harden, Westbrook and Durant. If a few others can find the basket regularly this could be another high scoring affair.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier.
BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder game is scheduled for Tuesday, March 22, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The contest will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
