The depleted Warriors come into Christmas Day on their first winning streak of the season. But it’s not enough to keep them from being big home underdogs to a Houston team that is 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS in its last six road games.
- Date/Time: December 25, 5 p.m. ET
- Arena: Chase Center
- TV Coverage: ABC
- Sportsbook Odds: Houston -10 | O/U 228
- Rockets vs Warriors Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Warriors are simply one of the worst teams in the league, while Houston is surging — and on a six-game road winning streak — so it’s no surprise the Rockets are favored by 10 points on the road.
Houston News & Notes
Capping off a four-game road trip with a date against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, all trends point to a Merry Christmas for the Rockets.
Houston has won each of its first three games on this road trip, and six straight road games overall. It is 4-1 ATS in its last five games against the Warriors, including a 129-112 victory on November 6. James Harden has continued his torrid scoring, as he is still averaging nearly 39 points per game, while Russell Westbrook is averaging 29.1 points over his last eight games.
And, perhaps most importantly, injuries have rendered the Warriors a lottery team with a 20th-ranked defense. With five of the last seven games between these teams going OVER, a porous defense should be a welcome sight for Harden, Westbrook and the rest of the Rockets’ No. 2-ranked offense.
Golden State News & Notes
The Warriors are entering Christmas Day on the closest thing they have had to a winning streak. With wins over New Orleans and Minnesota, Golden State has won two straight games for the first time all season.
Injuries have decimated the Warriors this season, as they have the league’s second-worst record at 7-24. D’Angelo Russell leads the team in scoring at 22.4 points per game, but in only playing 19 games — while Steph Curry has played only four times this season — the team has been carried by the likes of Alec Burks, Eric Paschall and Glenn Robinson III.
With a lack of available firepower, the Warriors sit 26th in the league in scoring. The total has gone UNDER in eight of Golden State’s last 11 games, and with Robinson questionable due to an ankle injury, there may not be a lot of offense coming from the Warriors on Christmas.
Betting Pick: Houston -10
The Warriors are technically playing their best basketball of the year, but that doesn’t change them having a depleted roster, while Houston is on a roll. This one’s a laugher, and the Rockets cover.
- Houston is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 road games.
- The OVER is 6-3 in Houston’s last 9 games vs the Western Conference.
- The UNDER is 7-1 in Golden State’s last 8 home games.
