One of the stingiest defenses in the NBA will face off against a high-powered offense in an intriguing Western Conference semifinals showdown. The No. 3 seed Houston Rockets will aim to keep up the pace when they travel to face the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs.
San Antonio is the home team and had the superior record during the season, so it will be the favorite. However, the Rockets have an MVP candidate in James Harden and he got some good support in the team’s opening-round win over the Thunder.
Houston is coming in with confidence and this should be an intriguing series. Each side would love to deal its opponent the first blow with a win in Game 1.
This war on the floor will go down Monday, May 1, 2017, at 9:30 p.m. ET at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Monday schedule.
NBA Odds
The Spurs are listed as 6-point favorites in Game 1. They are -240 on the moneyline while the Rockets are a +199 underdog to pull the upset. The scoring total is set at 213 points, which is higher than most Spurs games but a nod to Houston’s ability to score in bunches.
San Antonio is a -265 favorite to win this series, while the Rockets’ odds are set at +218.
The Spurs are 65-23 straight up and 45-41-2 against the spread. San Antonio has played in 44 homes games on the season and covered in half of them. The Spurs are 40-40-1 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
The Rockets are 59-28 straight up and 45-41-1 against the spread. They have played 43 road games and have performed well, covering in 26 of them with one push. Houston is 10-4-1 against the spread as the underdog on the year.
Season Series
The teams faced off four times in the regular season and the Spurs came away with three victories. All of the games were extremely hotly contested, as three of the contests were settled by only two points and the fourth was won by six.
The Rockets drew first blood in the regular season, winning a 101-99 barnburner on the road even as Kawhi Leonard went off for 34 points for San Antonio. Harden had a triple-double in that one, finishing with 24 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds.
The Spurs evened up the series just three days later, picking up a 106-100 victory in Houston. San Antonio then beat Houston 102-100 on the road in December as Patty Mills hit the game-winning three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining.
The Spurs picked up the regular season series victory with a 112-110 home win in March. Leonard had 39 points in that one, coming up with a critical three-pointer and a block in the final minute. It was a fantastic regular season series between these teams, which could portend a competitive postseason meeting.
Matchup To Watch
Leonard vs. Harden -- Each team has an elite small forward leading the way. Harden is likely to finish No. 2 in the MVP voting with Leonard right behind him. While they are both stars, their games are much different.
Harden is Houston’s primary ball-handler and playmaker, as the team’s offense is heavily reliant on him attacking defenses through screen and rolls. Harden averaged 29.1 points, 11.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game during the year. He put up 33.2 points, 7.0 assists and 6.4 rebounds in the first-round win over Oklahoma City.
Leonard doesn’t create as well as Harden but is a solid scorer and is a better all-around player. He averaged 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game during the regular season and put up more than 31 points per game in the opening round against Memphis.
Leonard is an elite defender and he will likely get the assignment on Harden for stretches in this series. That will be a critical matchup for both teams.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The Spurs are the favorite to win this game and the series, but the Rockets are tough. They have more options on offense beyond Harden with Lou Williams and Eric Gordon giving them a scoring punch off the bench. San Antonio also has a solid cast of reserves, and as much energy will be focused on the stars in this series, bench play will be critical.
The Rockets have shown they can play the Spurs tough on the road. Take Houston to get an upset in Game 1, which will be the start of a thrilling and competitive second-round matchup between these highly-talented teams.
NBA Odds: Rockets 106, Spurs 105
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