Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets
Golden State play Houston in the Western Conference Finals, and we might as well consider it the “real NBA Finals.”
There’s a reason why this match-up is the most highly-anticipated series of the year. Since Chris Paul paired up with James Harden in Houston, top betting sites pegged them as challengers for the Warriors’ west dominance.
And the Rockets did more than just that, getting the conference’s top seed and the home-court advantage over the Warriors in the playoffs. Heck, they are even considered as the best team in the NBA—record-wise.
Now, as the two head to Toyota Center for Game 1, we take a closer look at the key talking points for the series and the NBA betting lines for the opener.
Talking Points
Houston and Golden State boast the league’s two best offences this season—well, two of the best ever. Houston registered an offensive rating of 112.3 in the regular season, while Golden State are just a little bit behind at 112.2.
While both of their offences have an obvious reliance on the three ball, the way they get points are still different. The Rockets’ attack is centred on the pick-and-roll and one-on-one, thanks to James Harden and Chris Paul, while the Warriors emphasise ball movement.
It remains to be seen how they plan to stop each other from racking up points, though it would be interesting to see how the Warriors’ ultimate small-ball lineup—AKA the Hamptons Five which the Dubs used for the first time against New Orleans—will fare against the Rockets.
Another thing to watch out for in this game is the battle between Harden and Steph Curry, who are both members of the 2009 NBA Draft. Harden was selected third by the Oklahoma City Thunder, while Curry was taken seventh by the Warriors.
Remarkably, the two star guards have near identical regular-season averages. Harden has averaged 23.0 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds through nine years in the NBA, while Curry has a career average of 23.1 points, 6.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds.
Oh, and who could forget about Paul who will be playing in his first-ever conference final after 13 years in the league?
CP3 will surely be motivated to reach his first NBA Finals, and he will look back at history as he tries to lead Houston against the Warriors. Back in 2014, Paul and his LA Clippers eliminated the Bay Area team in seven games in the first round of the NBA Playoffs—that was the last time Golden State lost to a West opponent in the postseason.
History
Houston GM Daryl Morey said it clearly back in December 2017: “We’re basically obsessed with ‘How do we beat the Warriors?'”
Indeed, that was apparent as Houston won the season series against the Warriors, 2-1. It could have been a sweep too had the Rockets been with James Harden when the Warriors beat them 124-114 in January.
However, Golden State are different beasts in the postseason and the Rockets, more than anyone else, would know that.
This playoff series is the third postseason meeting between Golden State and Houston in the last four years. The Warriors needed only five games to send the Rockets packing in the 2015 West Finals, and they repeated that when they crushed the eighth-seeded Houston 4-1 in the first round in 2016.
Under a new coach and backed with better players, Harden, Morey and Houston will have their hopes up this time. However, the Warriors will undoubtedly want to remind their West rivals their history against each other.
What are the odds?
The Rockets are favoured to win, though they are given a -2.00 handicap that pays at 2.05—a clear proof that even the top online bookies expect a tightly-contested affair. Golden State, on the other hand, are given a +2.00 start at odds of 1.85.
While most basketball betting tips point to a close game, a high-scoring affair might also be on the books. It is worthy to note though that Over 225.00 pays at 2.06 while Under 225.00 is only at measly odds of 1.82.
Out of the three regular-season matches between the two, only one game ended at under 225. That happened in their final meeting in the season when Houston and Golden State combined for just 224 points.
Meanwhile, their first two meetings ended with more than 235 points, including their opening night game that saw them combine for 243 points. The Rockets came from 17 points behind to beat the Warriors in that wild contest.
Other notable match-ups
Eastern Conference Finals Game 1
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics: Check out our Game 1 preview for the unexpected finals meeting between the injury-plagued Celtics and the LeBron James-led Cavaliers, who weren’t expected to make it to the conference finals.
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
