The Golden State Warriors don’t care if they are at home or away. They feel like every time on the court they should be able to win. If Golden State can go into Houston and knock off the Rockets in Game 3, they will suck all the life out of what was supposed to be an epic Western Conference semifinals.
The Warriors took care of business at home in the first two games of this series but will be the underdog in this weekend matchup. Houston is no doubt feeling desperate and knows it must pick up a victory to make this a truly competitive series.
Both sides are going to be going full out in this one as the ramifications of this result are huge in NBA gambling.
This NBA basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets will be held at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 4th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ABC.
We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NBA season.
Odds Analysis
Houston will be the team to beat for the first time in this series as it is listed as the 3.5-point favorite against the spread back in front of its fans. The Rockets are the -168 favorite on the moneyline, while the Warriors are listed at +147 to pull off the upset. The scoring total is listed at 219.5 points in a series that has not produced as fast of a pace as expected thus far.
The “over” did hit last time out because of a bunch of late free throws, but that was a bit of a fluke and the “under” has been the better choice in this series so far. The Warriors covered in the second game of this series after the Rockets did in the first one.
Last Time Out
The second game of this series was pretty competitive from start to finish. Golden State jumped out to an early nine-point lead after the first quarter but the Rockets whittled away at it and was close down the stretch. However, Kevin Durant hit myriad big shots in the final few minutes as the Warriors claimed the 115-109 victory.
Durant finished the contest with 29 points, while Klay Thompson added 21 and played some really strong defense against James Harden and others. Steph Curry had 20 points and five assists, as Golden State’s superior balance was too much to handle.
Harden had 29 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Rockets but once again had to work really hard for his buckets. Austin Rivers gave Houston a nice boost off the bench with 14 points, and he hopes to duplicate that effort in Game 3.
Injury Report
Two significant physical issues popped up in the early stages of Game 2. Harden had his eye swiped and it immediately became red. He returned to the game but was clearly affected by it as he was squinting and icing it throughout the remainder of the contest. The good news for Houston is that Harden reportedly saw an eye doctor when the team got back to Houston and there is no damage to the cornea or lingering issues.
He is on the short list for MVP once again this season and it is critical to Houston’s chances that Harden is at 100 percent for this game.
Curry dislocated his finger in Game 2 but was able to tape it up and return to the game. It is on his left, non-shooting hand, which is a good break for the Warriors, who need their elite scorer to remain that type of threat in Game 3.
Harden and Curry are two of the biggest superstars in the NBA, and if either is limited by his injury, it would be a momentous development. Check back before tip-off to make sure both are good to go.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Warriors would love to go to Houston and pull off the upset to put a vice grip on this series, but it’s not going to happen. Houston is desperate and its role players should have better performances at the comfort of home.
The Rockets are the choice to win this game and pull to 2-1 in the series, but the spread is too high. Golden State will make this one nip and tuck until the very end and come away with the cover in NBA odds.
NBA ATS Pick: Houston Rockets 114, Golden State Warriors 112
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