Rockets vs. Thunder: 3 Best Bets for Redemption
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The Houston Rockets will travel north to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder after losing to them at home on Sunday night. Chet Holmgren was unstoppable on both ends of the floor, although Houston's first unit did play rather well.
With two games left against Oklahoma City, the season series is tied, 1-1. For regular followers of our betting columns, you might know that Sunday's game was a rough one for us, as only one of our three picks, hit. We told you to take UNDER 233.5 total points, and the teams combined for 233 points. Other than that, Sunday's betting advice was a bust.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Here's to redemption!
Tari Eason and Steven Adams remain out for Houston, and the Thunder are totally healthy. With a fairly clean injury report, stay tuned for our three best bets, powered by the lines at SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point spread: Thunder -10.5 (-105)/Rockets +10.5 (-118)
Money line: Thunder (-549)/Rockets (+380)
Over/under: 234.5
Our Picks
Safe pick: Fred VanVleet OVER 15.5 points (-118)
Since returning from injury and the All-Star Break, Fred VanVleet is averaging 16.7 points. He has posted at least 20 points in his last two games, including on Sunday against the Thunder. Earlier in the season, he posted only 11 points, but the recent version of VanVleet has been more eager to shoot.
Opponent pick: Chet Holmgren OVER 16.5 points (-110)
The Thunder had a good thing going on Sunday, allowing Holmgren to shoot for 29 points. He made five of his eight three-pointers, so the Thunder would be smart to feed him the ball tonight. Even if his efficiency takes a dip, expect the offense to run through Holmgren for a sizable portion of the game.
Team pick: OVER 234.5 total points (-110)
The under was hit by only half a point on Sunday, and the line has only moved by a point. However, the Rockets have a new offensive strategy to deal with the Thunder's defense, and OKC runs a high-powered offense that had no trouble with Houston's defense this weekend, so expect tonight's game to be more high-powered.
