The Houston Rockets (+375 to win the NBA title) and the Golden State Warriors (-330) didn’t disappoint in Game 1 of their highly anticipated Western Conference semifinals showdown, as it was teeming with drama, controversy, and action. Will Game 2 be just as thrilling? The Rockets will look to tie the series up before heading back home for Games 3 and 4, but that’s going to be easier said than done against a Warriors team that is being lead by a red-hot Kevin Durant.
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Betting Preview for Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors NBA Playoff Round 2 Game 2 on April 30, 2019
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland
When: Tuesday, April 30, 2019, 10:30 PM ET
Line: Houston Rockets (+5.5) vs. Golden State Warriors (–5.5) –view all NBA lines
Series: 1-0 in favor of the Warriors
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Houston Rockets (53-29 Regular Season)
There were a lot of things the Rockets didn’t like in Game 1’s 104-100 road loss to Golden State, including the manner with which the referees called the contest, but James Harden and company will have to move on from all of that, as it serves barely any purpose to sulk about the poor job the game’s officials clearly put up. Another thing the Rockets will have to better with moving forward is on choosing their shots. Although Houston has long established its offensive philosophy, which is to hoist at many 3-pointers as possible, that does not change the fact that they went just 14-for-47 or 29.8 percent from deep in Game 1. The threes can’t always fall on them. Defensively, Clint Capela has to show up too and prove his value on that end of the floor after registering a plus/minus of -17 in Game 1. He might need more shots to keep him going, too, as he only had four points on 1-for-2 shooting from the field.
Houston, which failed to cover its 2.5-point spread as road underdog in Game 1 against the Warriors, is 4-2 ATS in its last six road games.
Betting on the Golden State Warriors (57-25 Regular Season)
The Warriors didn’t shoot well either from deep and also committed plenty of errors, but they have Kevin Durant, who has been carrying the team on his shoulder over the past several games. In Game 1 against the Rockets Durant continued his hot streak, scoring 35 points on 11-for-25 shooting from the field to go with five rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. In seven games so far in the playoffs, Durant has averaged 35.0 points on 54.5 percent shooting from the floor. The Warriors can’t just let Durant do all the work, though, so Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson needs to be better. Curry was just 5-for-12 for 18 points in Game 1, while Thompson looked like he needed another trip to the beach to clear his mind after pumping out just 13 points on 5-for-13. The Warriors had 20 turnovers in Game 1 that resulted to 20 turnover points for the Rockets, which had 16 errors. Golden State also shot just 7-for-22 from behind the arc in Game 1, but the Warriors can blow up from distance on any given game, regardless of their performance in a prior contest.
The over is 2-1 in Golden State’s last three home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Golden State wins, 116-112.
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