The Oklahoma City Thunder invade the Toyota Center to battle the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. Here’s a Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction. This article will include a Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Pick.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been in fine form as they’ve won seven of their last nine games overall and they will be aiming for a fifth straight win after beating the Lakers in a 101-93 road win on Friday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with 36 points and nine assists on 13 of 28 shooting, Jalen Williams added 19 points while Luguentz Dort chipped in with 14 points.
As a team, the Thunder shot just 40 percent from the field and 13 of 40 from the 3-point line, but they got off to a strong start and then played excellent defense to force the Lakers into 17 turnovers for the game. No bench player scored more than seven points, but the Thunder got a big game from Isaiah Hartenstein who tallied 11 points with 18 rebounds and five assists.
Houston Rockets
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets have been in great form as they’ve won nine of their last 11 games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight win after outlasting the 76ers in a 122-115 overtime road win on Wednesday. Jalen Green led the team with 41 points on 12 of 20 shooting, Alperen Sengun added 22 points with 14 rebounds and seven assists while Amen Thompson chipped in with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks.
As a team, the Rockets shot 45 percent from the field and 10 of 31 from the 3-point line as they went cold in the fourth quarter and wasted a 13-point lead before they made up for it in overtime where they restricted the 76ers to just seven points. The Rockets will meet the Kings after this game.
Why the Houston Rockets will win
- The Rockets have won each of their last six games when playing with a rest advantage.
- The Thunder have lost 11 of their last 12 games at Toyota Center when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- The Rockets have covered the spread in nine of their last 10 games.
- The Thunder have failed to cover the spread in five of their last six games at Toyota Center.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Thunder’s last 11 road games following a road win has gone UNDER the total points line.
- Eight of the Rockets’ last nine night games against the Thunder following a road win have gone UNDER the total points line.
Houston Rockets Player Facts
- Alperen Sengun is one of only four players in the league to have recorded a triple-double in consecutive games this season.
- Fred VanVleet ranks 3rd in the Western Conference amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.7) this season.
Oklahoma City Thunder Player Facts
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranks 1st in the Western Conference amongst qualified players for points per game (29.8) this season.
- Jalen Williams ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for steals per game (2.2) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Rockets rank 1st in the league for opponent assists per game this season (21.0).
- The Rockets rank 1st in the league for rebounds per game this season (50.0).
- The Thunder rank 1st in the league for point differential per game this season (+10.7).
- The Thunder rank 30th in the league for opponent rebounds per game this season (49.1).
Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction
The Thunder are still shorthanded with Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams still out, while the Rockets are coming into this one with a full squad. The Thunder have quietly been one of the hottest teams in the league and they’ve been doing it with their defense like we saw in Friday’s win where they held the Lakers to just 93 points. The Rockets have been even hotter as they’ve barely missed a step over the past three weeks, so I really put this game at a pick ’em. With that being said, I am leaning towards the Rockets as the slight home underdog for value.