The Houston Rockets had enough fuel in their tank to turn away the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1, even without Russell Westbrook. Will the Rockets do it again in Game 2? Or will the Thunder strike this time around? Check out our preview of this game below.
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Betting Preview for the Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets NBA Playoffs Round 1 Game 2 on August 20, 2020
Where: Walt Disney World, Orlando
When: Thursday, August 20, 2020, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Oklahoma City Thunder (+2) vs. Houston Rockets (-2) – view all 2020 NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Oklahoma City Thunder (+2)
Regular Season Record: 44-28
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder probably would take a mulligan of their performances in Game 1’s 123-108 loss to Houston, as the two usually reliable Thunder pieces both struggled in the series opener. The two combined for just 15 points on a horrible 5-for-20 shooting from the field. To keep up with the high-scoring Rockets, Oklahoma City needs Gilgeous-Alexander and Schroder to do better on offense. After all, they are the second and third-leading scorers for Oklahoma City since the NBA restart. As for the leading scorer, veteran Chris Paul got himself 20 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. Paul is the Thunder’s most important player and the last one the team needs to flounder, so it’s nice for Oklahoma City to see him have that great takeoff in the series. Steven Adams was expected to play a pivotal role for the Thunder heading into this series because of his size, and his 17-point performance showed that. A better effort from Gilgeous-Alexander and Schroder plus the same outputs from the rest could get the Thunder to pull even with Houston in Game 2.
The over is 4-1 in the Thunder’s last five games.
Betting on the Houston Rockets (-2)
Regular Season Record: 44-28
No Russell Westbrook, no problem for the Rockets, thanks in large part to, who else, but James Harden. The bearded superstar led the way for Houston in Game 1 with 37 points and 11 rebounds. Westbrook is unlikely to join the action in Game 2, as he continues to recover from a quad injury, but he’s reportedly getting close. If Game 1 was any indication, though, the Rockets seem they can still afford to wait for Westbrook, with Eric Gordon filling in his spot on the starting unit. Gordon provided the main scoring support for Harden in Game 1, as he scored 21 points with a pair of 3-pointers. Speaking of which, the Rockets’ outside shooting was on point in the series opener, as they went 20 of 52 from deep. Jeff Green and Ben McLemore hit seven threes and scored 36 points off the bench. Since the NBA started camping in Orlando, the Rockets are averaging 17.5 3-pointers per contest.
The Rockets are 5-5 against the spread in their last 10 games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Thunder win, 117-115.
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