Rockets vs Warriors Prediction 4/23/25 NBA Picks Today

Golden State Warriors Betting Preview

The Golden State Warriors will be brimming with confidence after outlasting the Rockets in a solid 95-85 road win in Game 1 on Sunday. Stephen Curry led the team with 31 points on 12 of 19 shooting, Jimmy Butler added 25 points with seven rebounds, six assists and five steals while Brandin Podziemski chipped in with 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

As a team, the Warriors shot 47 percent from the field and 12 of 32 from the 3-point line, but this win was more about their defense as they held the Rockets to just 13 points in the second quarter to open up a 23-point lead. This was more than enough to hold off a late charge. No bench players scored more than seven points, and Draymond Green finished with just four points and three assists.

Houston Rockets Betting Preview

Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets will be hoping for a better effort after coming up flat in the series opening loss on Sunday. Alperen Sengun led the team with 26 points, nine rebounds and three steals, Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr each scored 11 points while Fred VanVleet chipped in with 10 points and seven assists.

As a team, the Rockets shot just 39 percent from the field and a miserly six of 29 from the 3-point line as they got off to a nightmare start. They managed just 34 points in the first half to trail by 23 points, which is a shame because they fought hard to cut the deficit to just three points at one midway through the fourth quarter. Fred VanVleet had a rough shooting night, as he shot just four of 19 from the field, while Jalen Green scored just seven points on three of 15 shooting.

Why the Houston Rockets will win

• The Warriors have lost each of their last 11 games as road underdogs after winning as underdogs.
• The Rockets have won each of their last 10 Wednesday games at Toyota Center.
• The Warriors have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine games as road underdogs after winning as underdogs.
• The Rockets have covered the spread in seven of their last eight games against Western Conference opponents after losing as favorites.

Why the Golden State Warriors will win

• The Warriors have won each of their last nine road games against Western Conference opponents.
• The Rockets have lost seven of their last eight playoff games against Pacific Division opponents.
• The road team has covered the spread in each of the Warriors’ last seven games.
• The Rockets have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six home games against Warriors teams that held a winning record.

Houston Rockets Player Facts

• Steven Adams ranks 1st amongst qualified players for rebounds per 36 minutes (14.8) this season.
• Alperen Sengun ranks 5th in the league for points in the paint (1012) this season.

Golden State Warriors Player Facts

• Stephen Curry ranks 1st amongst qualified players for FT% (93.3%) this season.
• Draymond Green is one of only three qualified players in the league averaging at least 1.0 threes, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks this season.

Rockets vs Warriors Prediction

The Warriors are coming in with a full squad once again, while the Rockets have ruled out Jae’Sean Tate and Jock Landale again. The Warriors had the luxury of leaning on their two superstars Jimmy Butler III and Stephen Curry, who combined for 56 points in Game 1, while the Rockets struggled with VanVleet and Green shooting a combined seven of 34 from the field.

The Warriors deserve plenty of credit for their effort on defense on Sunday, but the Rockets will take plenty of confidence from the fact that they almost ran down a 23-point deficit. The Warriors were good enough to steal home-court advantage after just one game, but there is just too much at stake for the Rockets in Game 2 for them not to come out guns blazing. I think we are going to see better production from the Rockets’ role players in their second home game, so I am leaning toward the Rockets to square up the series with a win and cover at the short line.