We have a Western Conference showdown with big play-in implications tonight as the Golden State Warriors will visit the Houston Rockets at 8 p.m. ET. The Warriors currently hold a three-game lead on the Rockets for the final play-in spot with seven games left in the regular season.
Golden State (41-34) has rattled off five straight victories and most recently toppled Dallas in a 104-100 win on Tuesday. The Warriors took control of this game towards the end of the third quarter and successfully held off the Mavericks late to extend their win streak. Houston (38-37) has now dropped two straight coming off its 11-game win streak, last falling to Minnesota in a 113-106 setback on Tuesday. Turnovers ended up hurting the Rockets as the Timberwolves turned 15 of those turnovers into 27 points on the other end.
On the injury front, Jonathan Kuminga (knee) has missed the last four games for the Warriors and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game.
Golden State enters the game as a 4-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, accompanied by a total of 228. The Warriors are listed as a -170 moneyline favorite, making the Rockets a +142 underdog.
Warriors vs. Rockets, 8 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Rockets +4
This is a de-facto playoff game for Houston as it absolutely needs a win here to keep pace with Golden State as the regular season comes to a close. The Rockets are an NBA-best 26-11-1 against the spread at home this season and with extra motivation for tonight’s game, I’ll predict this young squad both covers and picks up the outright win.
Over/Under: Under 228
Both of these squads have been producing plenty of offense as of late, averaging 114+ ppg over their last 10 respective outings. However, with this being a high-stakes contest with postseason implications, I’d imagine the intensity on both sides will be cranked up and both teams will have to work a little bit harder to get into a groove. I’ll take the under.