Rockets Look To Keep Hot Start Going Versus Thudner

Western Conference rivals Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets are set to play against each other tonight at 7 p.m. ET.

The Rockets are the 5.5-point favorites to win this one and the game’s total is set 194.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have not had an ideal start without Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. They are 3-7 and have given up their traditional spot over the Northwest Division to the Portland Trail Blazers. In their last outing, the Thunder failed to cover the spread as 3-point favorites as they fell to the Detroit Pistons, 96-89, in overtime. At this point, the Thunder are trying to win enough games that Durant and Westbrook can pull them out of the abyss when they eventually return.

The Rockets, on the other hand, have gotten off to a hot start. They are tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for first place in the Southwest Division. Houston needs every win it can get as they are in the head-and-shoulders best division in the NBA. Every team in the Southwest Division has a winning record. In their last outing, though, the Rockets failed to cover a -16.5 point spread as they barely edged out the winless Philadelphia 76ers, 88-87. Despite Rockets leading scorer James Harden’s reputation for taking defensive plays off, the Rockets are No.1 in defensive scoring in the NBA.

The Rockets are 5-0 straight up in their last five road games. Houston is 1-4 against the spread, though, in its last five games against the Thunder. The Thunder are 3-9 straight up in its last 12 games.

As far as the total goes, the under has had it in 10 of Houston’s last 11 games. The Under has also had it in the 13 of Oklahoma City’s last 19 games.