The All-Star Break might be over, but some of the NBA’s superstars will be on display once again as the regular season picks back up this week. James Harden and the Houston Rockets will hit the road to face off against Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and the rest of the star-studded Golden State Warriors.
Golden State has taken control of the Western Conference and should cruise to the No. 1 seed heading into the postseason. The Rockets are in a tougher spot as they are jockeying for position with several other teams. Houston would love to pull off this upset but the Warriors are playing at an extremely high level and it won’t be easy in NBA odds.
This NBA basketball game between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors will be held at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 23rd, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ABC.
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Odds Analysis
The Rockets have a record of 33-24 on the season. They started the season slowly and have never quite hit the groove they were in all of last year. Houston is 13-15 on the road this year and will certainly be the underdog against the Warriors.
Golden State is 41-16 on the year. They lost to the Blazers right before the All-Star Break but has otherwise been red hot ever since DeMarcus Cousins joined the lineup. The Warriors didn’t have the best record in the West for much of the first half but are now in control. Golden State has gone 22-7 at home on the year in NBA odds.
Injury Report
Rockets guard Iman Shumpert is dealing with a knee injury and has already been ruled out for this matchup. Shumpert was recently acquired from the Cavaliers to give Harden another scoring option. He is averaging 8.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game this season, although he has not approached those numbers in limited work with the Rockets.
Harden is averaging more than 36 points per game but the Rockets likely need to spread the scoring around in order to truly compete for a title. Chris Paul and Clint Capela have both missed stretches of this season due to injury which is why Harden has taken over. Without Shumpert, more could be on Harden’s plate once again.
Key Stat
25. That was the cap on minutes for Cousins as he recently returned to the court following a torn Achilles. Coach Steve Kerr said that restriction is likely to be taken off moving forward now that Cousins is getting back into shape and hasn’t suffered any setbacks.
The star big man is averaging 13.9 rebounds and 6.8 rebounds per game this year. Cousins is still not in great shape so it’s not like he can play 40 minutes, but look for him to play a bigger role in this game if needed. It is a nice bonus for the Warriors and something to keep in mind when it comes to the spread in this showdown.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Rockets are one of the few teams to beat the Warriors in the past several weeks, when Harden hit a buzzer-beater to steal a win. Houston would love to tack on another upset but it’s not going to happen this time around.
Golden State has the superior team and the home court advantage. This one is not likely to be particularly close as the Warriors should step on the gas and cover the spread in NBA wagering.
NBA ATS Pick: Golden State Warriors 132, Houston Rockets 121
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