The Houston Rockets didn’t exactly hit on all cylinders in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but they still managed to pull out a victory. The T-Wolves could be in trouble the rest of the way as they may have missed their chance to make this a competitive series.
Houston will likely shoot better from the field next time out and will be sizable favorites to take a 2-0 series lead. Minnesota’s defense held up well in the first go-round and that’s likely what will need to happen again in order for an upset to happen.
While the supporting cast didn’t give him much help, James Harden was masterful in the first game of this series. If he can put up similar numbers in Game 2, the Rockets will be well on their way to another win in NBA basketball betting lines.
Game 2 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Wednesday, April 18 2018 at 9:30 p.m. ET at the 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 10.5-point favorites in Game 2, as the oddsmakers don’t believe the close margin in Game 1 will be indicative of anything in this one. The betting public thinks this spread is too high as the Timberwolves are getting nearly 60 percent of the action to cover.
The scoring total is listed at 212.5 points, with about 57 percent of the action choosing the “over” in NBA basketball over-under wagering.
Houston is a heavy -650 favorite on the moneyline, while the Timberwolves are +477 underdogs. The majority of the money is on Minnesota, as an upset would pay off handsomely.
Last Time Out
James Harden is the presumptive MVP of the NBA this season and he played like it in Game 1. The Rockets star had 44 points and eight assists in a 104-101 victory. Harden shot 15-of-26 from the field and hit seven three-pointers.
It was badly needed, as Chris Paul, P.J. Tucker and Trevor Ariza all had down games. The Timberwolves held a one-point lead with under seven minutes remaining, but Houston then took control. Harden made big buckets down the stretch and Clint Capela capped a strong game with a critical basket late.
Minnesota was led by Andre Wiggins, who had 18 points. Karl Anthony-Towns did not play well, finishing with only eight points. The Timberwolves will need much more from him in Game 2.
Key Stat
31. That’s the number of points that veterans Derrick Rose and Jamal Crawford combined for off the bench for the Timberwolves. Both of those players are no longer the impact pieces they used to be, but showed they can still be useful in stretches.
Houston has the deeper team but if the Timberwolves can get contributions from Rose and Crawford the rest of this series, it could make it more interesting. These two players may not have the legs under them that they used to but there is plenty of big-game experience and they won’t be overwhelmed by the bright lights of the postseason.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Harden didn’t get much help at all in Game 1 and yet his team still came away with the victory. While he’s unlikely to score 44 points again in this one, he shouldn’t need to. Look for guys like Paul, Ariza, Eric Gordon and Gerald Green to play better than they did in the opener.
The Timberwolves missed their chance to steal a game in Houston. Even though the spread is high in this one, take the Rockets to cover. They should shoot much better from the three-point line in an easy victory in NBA basketball gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: Rockets 116, Timberwolves 101
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