The Golden State Warriors seemed poised to take control of the Western Conference Finals, but the Houston Rockets had other plans. Houston shocked Golden State on the road in Game 4 to tie up this series at two games apiece as it shifts back to Texas.
The Rockets are still the underdogs in this series but they now have two of the final three games at home as they aim to upset the Warriors and make it to the NBA Finals. This is a pivotal game for both sides. Golden State may be the more talented team but it is battling injuries and must go on the road for this win, so it will be a tough test.
The hype is going to be huge for this contest as these two teams are the best in the NBA, and the Western Conference Finals has thus far lived up to the hype in NBA basketball odds.
Game 5 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Thursday, May 24, 2018 at 9 p.m. ET at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. 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 Rockets are listed as slight 1-point favorites to emerge victorious in Game 5. They covered easily in Game 4, as each team has done so twice in this series.
The scoring total is listed at 220 points. Even though both of these teams have talented offenses, the “under” has been the better play of late because the defenses have stepped it up. The total is much lower than in Game 4, when it was listed at 227 points.
The Rockets and Warriors are both listed at -110 on the moneyline.
Last Time Out
Game 4 was a wild one. The Warriors jumped out to an early lead, the Rockets fought back, Golden State took control in the fourth and then Houston rallied for the 95-92 win. Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry each had shots to tie the game in the final seconds but each missed.
Chris Paul was impressive for the Rockets, scoring 27 points while shooting 10-of-20 from the field and 5-of-9 from three-point range. James Harden had 30 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Curry had 28 points but didn’t shoot particularly well. Kevin Durant added 27 points and 12 rebounds but didn’t make a huge impact down the stretch. Both teams played solid defense as there was much less scoring in this contest than expected.
Injury Report
The Warriors have a pair of injuries to key players. Small forward Andre Iguodala missed Game 4 with a knee contusion, and his absence was a big one. His availability seems to be in peril for Game 5 as well. Iguodala is averaging 7.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game during the playoffs.
Star shooting guard Klay Thompson suffered a knee strain in the first half of Game 4. He went to the locker room but did return to the game. Thompson seemed fine after coming back but didn’t shoot very well. It’s unknown how he will be after cooling down.
While Thompson seems likely to play in Game 5, it is possible he is hampered by the injury. Thompson is averaging 20.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in the postseason, shooting 44.5 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from three-point range.
Free NBA ATS Picks
This is a huge game for both sides, and the likelihood is that the Warriors get the majority of the action to win and take control of the series again. However, the Rockets should not be discounted, as they will have the crowd behind them and are playing well.
The Rockets are the pick to win by the slimmest of margins, which would give them a 3-2 lead and only one win away from a berth in the NBA Finals. Houston is also the choice to cover this spread in NBA basketball wagering.
NBA ATS Pick: Rockets 112, Warriors 109
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