The Houston Rockets followed up their Game 1 win with a huge 102-82 victory in Game 2 over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday despite a rare off night from James Harden. Can the Rockets make it three in a row this Saturday? Or will Minnesota nail its first win of the series and of these playoffs? This will be the first time in the series that the Timberwolves are not double digit underdogs going into the game.
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Betting Preview for Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves NBA Western Conference Round 1 Game 3 on April 21, 2018
Where: Target Center
When: Saturday, April 21, 2018, 7:30 PM EST
Line: Minnesota Timberwolves (spread) vs Houston Rockets (spread) – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN, FSOK
Betting on the Houston Rockets (-4)
Someone needs to file a missing person report in Minnesota, as Karl-Anthony Towns was once again nowhere to be found in Game 2. After scoring just nine points in Game 1, Towns managed to be even worse on Wednesday, coughing up a pathetic total of five points despite being on the floor of 24 minutes. He had 10 rebounds, but Minnesota needs Towns to score if it is to beat Houston at least even once in these playoffs. Maybe a return back home for Game 3 could light a fire underneath Towns, who averaged 23.0 points and 12.8 rebounds in 41 home games back in the regular season. Jeff Teague was another Minnesota guy who was just off in Game 2, finishing the contest with just eight points. Minnesota defended well the Rockets in Game 2, holding Harden and company down to just 36.5 percent shooting, but all it’s effort on defense was put to waste by the team’s anemic offense. Minnesota’s stars have to show up – soon. Minny is 3-1 SU and 2-1-1 ATS I its last four home games.
Betting on the Minnesota Timberwolves (+4)
Even with James Harden seemingly out of sync in Game 2, the Rockets still managed to pull off a victory to get ahead of the series, 2-0. Harden scored just 12 points on an utterly salty 2-for-18 shooting from the field with a 1-for-10 line from long distance, but the Rockets got a timely assist from Chris Paul, who took over Harden as the team’s top offensive threat in Game 2 by scoring 27 points to go with eight assists. It’s not always the that Harden is going to be this cold offensively, so it’s fair to expect the bearded scoring machine to have a bounce-back game this coming Saturday. The Rockers are not shooting very well from deep in the series, but they are making a lot simply by not stopping hoisting those shots from deep. They went 16-for-52 from behind the arc in Game 2. The Rockets are 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five games in Minnesota.
Writer’s Prediction:
Houston wins, 110-105.
Bet here on the 2018 NBA playoffs
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