The Houston Rockets made a big statement in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, dominating the second half to even up their series against the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are the defending champions and many thought they could make quick work of Houston after an impressive road win in Game 1, but the Rockets came back strong last time out.
The series now shifts to Oakland, where the Warriors will be solid favorites to win Game 3 and re-take the lead. The Rockets were solid on the road this season and hope to win at least one of the next two on the road. Houston avoided a huge hole but the pressure will be back on if it can’t manage to pull an upset.
The Warriors’ crowd is going to be raucous in this one and the Rockets will need to overcome that disadvantage as well as the talent of Golden State to pull out the unlikely upset in NBA basketball gambling.
Game 3 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Sunday, May 20, 2018 at 8 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The contest will be nationally televised on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
Odds Analysis
The Warriors are checking in as 7.5-point favorites for Game 3. The first two games had very small spreads in Houston, as the oddsmakers think Golden State is the more talented team in this series but the Rockets are close enough to be favored when at home. More than 57 percent of the action is on the Warriors to cover despite the fact that the spread is pretty large.
The scoring total is listed at 226.5 points as both of these teams can really score it. They were the two highest-scoring teams in the NBA during the regular season and there will be a great collection of talent on the floor. The “under” is the more popular choice as more than 62 percent of the action is on that side of the total.
Golden State is a -360 favorite to capture this contest on the moneyline, while the Rockets are +289 underdogs. The Rockets are getting nearly 85 percent of the action as the payoff is lucrative.
Last Time Out
The Rockets won every single quarter in Game 2 as they built a nice lead at halftime and stayed on the gas. James Harden led the way with 27 points but overall balance was the name of the game as Houston claimed the easy 127-105 victory.
Only Harden and Chris Paul had standout contests in Game 1 but the role players stepped up to help in this one. Eric Gordon had 27 points off the bench on 8-of-15 shooting while P.J. Tucker added 22 points and Trevor Ariza added 19 points and six assists.
Kevin Durant had a big game for the Warriors, pouring in 38 points, but the other members of the team’s dominant quartet didn’t play well. Steph Curry finished with 16 points but shot just 7-of-19 from the floor and 1-of-8 from three-point range. Klay Thompson had only eight points while Draymond Green finished with six points, six rebounds and six assists.
Injury Report
Paul injured his leg in the second half and had it wrapped in the fourth quarter of the blowout. He was limping at times in the game but the Rockets have downplayed the injury. Paul has several days off to recuperate and it doesn’t seem like it will be an issue, but if he is slowed down at all it will be a big blow.
Keep an eye on Paul’s health before the game and in the early stages to see if the leg injury affects him at all. The Rockets need everyone at full strength for this pivotal Game 3 matchup.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Warriors are sizable favorites next time out, but the spread is too high. The Rockets are a really good team in their own right and they should make this one competitive. Take Golden State to win the game straight up, but Houston is the pick to cover in NBA basketball wagering.
NBA ATS Pick: Warriors 116, Rockets 111
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