NBA Playoffs, 9/2/20 Thunder vs. Rockets Game 7 Predictions & Odds

Thunder vs. Rockets Game 7 Prediction

The Thunder and Rockets have pushed their first-round series to a seventh game, which will be played tonight in Orlando at 9:00 p.m. ET. How will it all go down and who is the play tonight for bettors?

Game Snap Shot

Who: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets

Odds: Rockets -5.5, O/U 218

Public Betting: Find out which side public bettors are on at our NBA Public Betting Page

Oklahoma City Thunder DFS Spin

Danilo Gallinari scored 12 points in the third quarter but didn't do anything in the fourth quarter until he hit two clutch free throws with 3.8 seconds left on the clock to secure a 104-100 win over the Rockets on Monday to force a Game 7 on Wednesday night. Gallinari finished with 25 points, five rebounds, one assist, two steals and four 3-pointers on 9-of-17 shooting in the win. Gallo was special in the third quarter and played well for the first three stanzas, then came through when it mattered near the final buzzer. This was a game of runs and the Thunder went on a 15-5 run in the third quarter and then Lu Dort hit a couple 3-pointers and helped spark an 8-0 run to give OKC a 77-75 lead at the end of the third. Houston then want on a 14-1 run for a 98-95 lead in the fourth quarter, but Russell Westbrook made too many mistakes for Houston to hold on. This was Gallo's best game since his Game 1, 29-point peformance and he had scored a total of 10 points in Games 4 & 5. He'll likely need to keep it going on Wednesday in Game 7 if the Thunder are going to pull off the miraculous upset.

Houston Rockets DFS Spin

James Harden hit 11-of-22 shots, 3-of-11 3-pointers and 7-of-8 free throws for 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 39 minutes of Monday's 104-100 Game 6 loss to the Thunder. Game 7 is Wednesday night. Harden hit some big step-back 3-pointers but also struggled from beyond the arc on the night and surprisingly didn't have the ball in his hands nearly enough in the final minutes of the game. The Rockets still had a chance, down two with 13.1 seconds left, but Russell Westbrook threw the ball away and Danilo Gallinari sealed the win with a pair of free throws with 3.8 seconds left on the clock. Look for Harden to come out with a vengeance on Wednesday for Game 7 as the Rockets will try to escape a pesky OKC team to advance to Round 2.

NBA Playoffs Thunder vs. Rockets Game 7 Betting Prediction

I expect the Rockets do to a better job tonight of protecting the ball, specifically Russell Westbrook. He hasn’t quite looked himself so far in this series but the Rockets averaged just 11 turnovers per game before turning the rock over 22 times in Game 6 on Monday. Westbrook spent a little over two weeks on the sidelines and is still trying to find his rhythm, but I’m banking on a strong performance out of him tonight.

Meanwhile, Harden will need to have a better performance from behind the arc, but I’m banking on him to have one of those performances where he shoots the lights out and the Rockets advance. The Thunder have done a great job of mucking it up and forcing the Rockets into mistakes, but I see a cleaner game for Houston and perhaps even a runaway tonight in Orlando.

The Thunder are just 1-5 against the spread in their last six games following a win and are 1-5 against the number when they covered the spread in their previous game.

2020 NBA PLAYOFFS GAME 7 PREDICTION: HOUSTON ROCKETS -5.5