NBA Playoff Betting Preview & Prediction: Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors

May 21, 2015 by R Keough

“Between the Chalk”

9:00 PM ET, May 21, 2015
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

I’m back in the saddle after a 10-day hiatus to predict Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Final between the Golden State Warriors (76-17, 52-40-1 ATS) and Houston Rockets (64-31, 56-39-0 ATS) at Oracle Arena on the right side of the tracks in Oakland.

Pay Per Head agents at Premier Per Head have the Warriors a 10½-point home favorite after the Rockets covered the same in Game 1. Golden State had covered the spread in winning all four regular season games against Houston this year.

The UNDER paid after a 110-106 Warrior victory in the opening game of the series. Bettors using sites for local bookies to place action on the number will find it at 220 for Game 2.

Game 1 saw Houston, who were on a 3 game SU and ATS win streak, get out to an early 31-24 lead after the 1st Quarter and increase it to 16 around the 7 minute mark of the 2nd. The Warriors were true to their name, rallying to allow only 6-points for the remainder of the half to take a 58-55 lead.

NBA MVP Stephen Curry led all players with 34 points, going 13-22 from the field including 6-11 from beyond the 3-point line. He also had 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

Pay Per Head agents feel Shaun Livingston played well off the bench, scoring 18 points (6-8 FGM-A/6-6 FTM-A), 14 of which came in the second quarter, with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal in 29 minutes.

James Harden continued to lead the Rockets as his 28 points gave him 20 or more in all 13 of the Rockets post-season games. Agents using bookie software watched as Harden also had 11 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals…he did however turn the ball over 5 times.

Dwight Howard, who led the Rockets with 13 rebounds, adding 7 points, 2 assists, and a block and a steal, is listed as questionable to play on Thursday night after suffering a sprained left knee in the first quarter. He continued to play, but said it was “very painful,” leaving the game in the fourth quarter.

The Rockets are used to playing without the services of Howard this season after he missed 41 games, mostly because of a right knee injury. Although his size and presence in the paint will surely be missed in Game 2.

Prediction

The Warriors dominance both of the Rockets and at home this season makes it hard to go against them. Curry’s game averages this post-season of 28.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists, shooting 45% from the field and 42.3% from beyond the arc are nothing short of awesome.

The Warriors will take a 2-0 lead to Houston, but the Rockets will keep in close in another entertaining NBA Playoff game. If Howard is healthy enough the put in some solid minutes, it may come down to who gets the luckier bounces.