Last Updated on October 20, 2025 11:41 pm by Alex Becker
The Houston Rockets head to OKC to face the Thunder on Tuesday night at 7:30 PM ET. It’s NBA opening night on NBC and Peacock. Can the Thunder cover the 7.5-point spread as home favorites? Keep reading for our Rockets vs. Thunder betting prediction.
The Houston Rockets went 52-30 straight up in the regular season last year. They were 47-41-1 ATS last season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder went 68-14 straight up in the regular season last year. They were 64-38-4 ATS last season.
Rockets vs. Thunder Matchup & Betting Odds
501 Houston Rockets (+7.5) at 502 Oklahoma City Thunder (-7.5); o/u 226.5
7:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
TV: NBC/Peacock
Rockets vs. Thunder Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 63% of public bettors are currently backing the Rockets when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Houston Rockets Daily Fantasy Spin
Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet (ACL), forward Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle), and forward Jae’Sean Tate (ankle) will all miss Tuesday’s opening night matchup with the Thunder. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 assists per game last year while Finney-Smith 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest in 2024-25.
With Fred VanVleet out, Houston will start Amen Thompson at point guard with 2024 first-round pick Reed Sheppard coming off the bench. The absence of Dorian Finney-Smith will likely mean more minutes for Rockets reserve forward Tari Eason on Tuesday and going forward.
Oklahoma City Thunder Daily Fantasy Spin
Thunder guards Jalen Williams (wrist), Isaiah Joe (knee), and Nikola Topic (groin) will all sit out Tuesday’s game against the Rockets. The biggest loss of that trio is Jalen Williams, who is one of OKC’s best players and put up 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game last year.
The Thunder will likely use a combination of Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Aaron Wiggins to fill the minutes of Joe and Willilams on Tuesday.
Oklahoma City guard/forward Kenrich Williams (knee) and center Thomas Sorber (ACL) will also both miss Tuesday’s contest.
Rockets vs. Thunder NBA Betting Trends
Houston is 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
Houston is 3-4 ATS when playing on 4+ days of rest since the start of the 2023 season.
Oklahoma City is 7-3 ATS when playing on 4+ days of rest since the start of the 2023 season.
Oklahoma City is 62-30-2 ATS as a home favorite since the beginning of the 2023 season.
Rockets vs. Thunder NBA Prediction:
The Thunder had the best record in the regular season last year and went on to win the NBA championship. They also had the best record against the spread in the league last year. Any way you slice it, Oklahoma City was (and still is) a great team.
The Thunder were 62-37-4 ATS as a favorite and 37-15-2 ATS as the home team last season. What’s more, OKC was 38-30 ATS in conference games and 51-23-4 ATS in non-division games in 2024-25. And finally, the Thunder were 50-30-3 ATS after a win and 8-6-1 ATS when playing with the rest disadvantage last year. The pick is Oklahoma City -7.5 points over Houston at Bovada.lv.