The Golden State Warriors are in the midst of one of the most dominant runs in NBA history, but their backs are against the wall in the Western Conference Finals. The Houston Rockets eked out a Game 5 victory and need only one more win to move on to the NBA Finals.
The Warriors return home for Game 6 and will be substantial favorites to win this game and force a Game 7 back in Houston. Golden State is the defending champion and entered the postseason as the favorite once again, but the Rockets were always seen as its toughest foe.
The Rockets have won two straight games in this series and a road upset would knock off the mighty Warriors. It won’t be easy as Golden State will undoubtedly be ready to roll in this matchup in NBA basketball betting lines.
Game 6 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Saturday, May 26, 2018 at 9 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 listed as 10.5-point favorites early on as the oddsmakers are convinced Golden State will rise to the challenge and force a Game 7. The early money is on the Warriors to cover, even at this double-digit spread.
The scoring total is listed at 213.5 points as this series has been much lower-scoring than everyone expected. The defenses have stood tough and it will be interesting if either team can break out and put up a lot of points in Game 6. The “under” is getting more of the early action.
Last Time Out
Houston came back home with the momentum and on the heels of a tragedy that had rocked the community. And the Rockets did not disappoint in Game 5. It was a tight one until the end, but the Rockets came out on top, defeating the Warriors 98-94 to take a one-game lead back to Oakland. The Warriors had the ball down by two points late but Draymond Green turned it over to end Golden State’s chances.
The Rockets’ leading scorer Thursday night came off the bench, as Eric Gordon put up 24 points in the victory. He had two critical free throws in the last few seconds of the game to help seal the win. Chris Paul added 20 more points for Houston and James Harden finished with 19 points, despite going 0-for-11 from three-point range.
Golden State was the better shooting team in Game 5, but Houston made shots when it counted, outscoring the Warriors 27-22 in the fourth quarter to pull away for the win. The Warriors had four of its five starters finish in double digits. Kevin Durant led the charge with 29 points while Klay Thompson finished with 23 points and Steph Curry recorded 22 points and seven assists.
Injury Report
Paul left Game 5 in the final minute with a hamstring injury. He injured himself on a drive to the hoop and it’s unknown how severe it is. If he can’t play in Game 6 or is hobbled, it will be a huge blow to Houston’s chances.
His unknown status is a reason why the Warriors are double-digit favorites next time out. The Rockets wouldn't have won Game 5 without Paul’s fantastic play in the second half and will be at a severe disadvantage if he cannot play.
The Warriors have been without small forward Andre Iguodala for the past two games and his absence has been notable. While he isn’t as much of a star as the other Warriors starters, he rounds out the group and makes it so the team doesn’t have a weak link in crunch time. It’s no coincidence the Warriors have lost both games he has missed as Iguodala is a key cog.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Rockets have done a great job at getting ahead in this series, but there seems to be very little chance they pull off another road upset to close out the series. Take Golden State to come out with a barrage of three-pointers to take an early lead and maintain it throughout.
This series seems headed for Game 7 as the Warriors should not only win Game 6 but also cover the spread. The “over” is the easy call as the total has dropped much too low in NBA basketball gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: Warriors 113, Rockets 99
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