Warriors vs Rockets Lines: Take Golden State ATS vs Houston
West Playoff Hopefuls Clash In Lone Star State
The Golden State Warriors are trying to get back into the postseason for the third straight season, but they have quite a challenge from the young Houston Rockets, who will host the Warriors on Thursday night. Heading into Thursday, Houston trails Golden State by three games for the 10th spot in the West with seven to play in the regular season, meaning the Rockets need this one desperately if they want to get into the play-in tournament.
Houston looked like it had no chance of being part of the NBA playoffs schedule just a month ago, but the Rockets went on an 11-game winning streak to make things interesting. Unfortunately, they’ve now dropped two in a row, so this is an extremely important game for their postseason chances. The Warriors are the veteran club and have a five-game winning streak heading into this showdown.
The Warriors are the favorites in this game despite playing on the road, giving four points to the Rockets on a point-spread wager. The over/under has been set at 228 points.
Warriors vs Rockets 
Records: Golden State Warriors (41-34) vs Houston Rockets (38-37)
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Day/Time: Streaming: NBA League Pass
Veteran Warriors Starting To Gel At Right Time
The Warriors have had their troubles at times this season, which is why they are hanging into the 10th spot in the Western Conference standings. Still, the core of the team that has been among the top teams in NBA Finals odds in the past is still intact, making Golden State a dangerous team to face at any time.
With his uncanny shooting ability, Guard Stephen Curry is always a threat to take over a game. The 36-year-old is still in the top 10 in the league in scoring at 26.4 points per game, hitting 38.9% from 3-point range. He’s upped his production in two games against Houston this season, averaging 28.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while hitting 47.8% of his shots from beyond the arc.
Another key member to the Warriors’ hopes of making noise in the postseason is veteran forward Draymond Green, who is playing some of his best basketball of the season. Two games ago, he had 21 points, 11 assists, six rebounds, and six steals in a win over San Antonio, and he followed that up with 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists, four steals, and a late-game block in a victory over Dallas on Tuesday.
Rockets Can’t Afford Another Flat Effort
Houston’s hopes of making it to the play-in tournament require near-perfect results the rest of the way, which means it can’t afford to let an opponent score nearly at will for periods of time. That happened in Tuesday’s loss to Minnesota, as the Rockets led 23-16 after one quarter, then allowed the Timberwolves to score 38 points in the second, leading to a 113-106 setback. Minnesota shot 53.2% from the floor for the game, including 42.3% from 3-point range.
The Rockets’ offense has been led by guard Jalen Green, who is averaging 20.0 points and 5.1 rebounds. He bounced back from a 12-point effort in a loss to Dallas on Sunday with 26 points and six assists against Minnesota, but it wasn’t enough. He also committed five turnovers against the Timberwolves, which he must improve upon.
Center Alperen Sengun (21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists per game) has been sidelined for the last three weeks with an ankle injury that will keep him out through the end of the regular season. The up-and-coming star would improve the Rockets’ spot in the NBA power rankings, but with him unavailable, the rest of the team must up their output on both ends of the floor.
Take Warriors To Cover In Win
Houston is a young team that is ahead of schedule in contending for the postseason already this season. It is taking on a Golden State team that is a veteran bunch and starting to play up to its potential with its current winning streak.
The Warriors vs Rockets lines reflect this difference in experience, and we agree with the early lines for this contest. Golden State should come away with the win, easily covering the four-point spread. The defense has been a key to the Warriors’ success of late, so we’ll go with the under for a bet as well.
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