Warriors vs. Rockets Prediction
Without their leading scorer, can the Golden State Warriors possibly close out the Houston Rockets when they meet in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals in Houston at 9PM ET?
519 Golden State Warriors vs. 520 Houston Rockets
Friday, May 10, 2019
9PM ET – Toyota Center
TV: ESPN
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers, the Rockets are the clear favorite in Game 6, as they are getting odds of -7 points against the Warriors. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 214 points. The public betting for the contest has 56 percent going on the Warriors on the road. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NBA Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Warriors win, but lose Durant
Golden State was able to take a 3-2 lead in the series with a 104-99 win at home over Houston in Game 5, but it came with a big price. Kevin Durant was lost for at least the rest of this series after suffering a calf strain in the second half. Golden State comes into tonight 64-29 on the season, 30-16 on the road, 39-53-1 against the spread and 48-44-1 with the under.
Durant had 22 points on 8 of 18 shooting before he had to leave the game. He has been dominant throughout this series. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson finally started to show their old form on Wednesday. Thompson put up 27 points while hitting five 3-pointers and Curry had 25 points while hitting three from the arc. Draymond Green added eight points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the win.
Rockets in a must-win
Houston finds itself on the brink of elimination following the loss at Golden State, but the Rockets have won both games at home in this series and they have covered the spread in three straight in the series. Houston is now 59-33 on the season, 36-10 at home, 47-42-3 against the spread and 47-42-3 with the under.
The Rockets couldn’t produce from the arc, going just 12 of 41 in Game 5. They also committed 15 turnovers. James Harden had 31 points and eight assists in the game, but he disappeared in the crucial fourth quarter. Eric Gordon had 19 points in the loss while P.J. Tucker had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
NBA Betting Trends
Golden State
The Warriors are just 2-5 against the spread in their last seven road games and 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games following a win.
Houston
The Rockets are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 home games and 9-3 ATS in their last 12 following a cover.
Prediction:
This game has a lot of factors to consider. While Golden State lost Durant, you have to remember that this is still a core group that won a NBA title and reached another NBA Finals. When Durant left Game 5, the Warriors were only up three points. They would build the lead up to 8 in the fourth quarter and handle themselves just fine. Curry looked looser and more confident on the floor knowing it was up to him to make things happen on offense. However, you still have to question his finger injury and how it will impact his shooting tonight. While on paper Houston seems like the easy winner tonight, let’s not forget that the Rockets have a notorious history of choking. The pressure has been on Golden State this series, but is now all on Houston with Durant out. Harden had just five points in the fourth of Game 5 when he had a chance to truly take over. The Rockets’ history of choking, and Golden State’s new chip on its shoulder for being counted out with Durant make me believe this game is coming down to the wire.
NBA Prediction: Golden State Warriors +7