The top-seeded Houston Rockets will look to even up the NBA Western Conference Final on Wednesday when they host the second-seeded Golden State Warriors in another close Game 2 matchup at the sportsbooks.
The Rockets fell 119-106 to the Warriors in the series opener after closing as 2.5-point favorites, and the line is slightly lower in their favor for Game 2 versus the defending NBA champions.
NBA point spread: The Rockets opened as two-point favorites; the total is at 224.5, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)
NBA betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 112.2-103.6, Rockets (NBA picks on every game)
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Why the Warriors can cover the spread
Golden State trailed at the end of the first quarter at Houston but stayed the course and took control of Game 1 after halftime. The Warriors outscored the Rockets 31-24 in the third quarter and withstood Houston's James Harden scoring 24 of his game-high 41 points in the first two.
Golden State countered Harden offensively with 37 points from Kevin Durant and 28 from Klay Thompson, while Stephen Curry added 18. Curry only took 15 shots from the field, and bettors should expect him to get more involved as the series goes on, which is another bad sign for the Rockets as long as he stays healthy.
Why the Rockets can cover the spread
Houston is coming off just its second home loss this postseason, and the team has not dropped consecutive games at the Toyota Center since the end of 2017.
The Rockets simply need to forget about Game 1 and focus on tying the series up, knowing they still took two of three meetings with the Warriors during the regular season both straight up and against the spread, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
If the Rockets can play a better second half defensively (they were outscored 63-50 in the last two quarters of Game 1) and Harden saves his best for the fourth, things will be even going to Oakland.
Smart betting pick
Houston avoided a sweep in its second home game when these teams met in the 2015 Western Conference Final and will likely need a similar performance here with the series shifting to Oakland on Sunday. Look for Houston to win and cover the spread to pull even in the series.
NBA betting trends
The total has gone under in four of Golden State's last five games.
The total has gone under in five of Golden State's last six games on the road.
The total has gone under in 13 of Houston's last 19 games.
All NBA odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.
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