The Houston Rockets find themselves in an 0-2 hole in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series as they play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the set on Saturday.
The Thunder pulled out a 105-102 win but failed to cover a big 11-point spread at home when they last met the Rockets in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were each good for 29 points for Oklahoma City in that day's win, but Westbrook suffered a knee injury and is now out indefinitely.
(Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news).
The Rockets are 45-37 so far on the season, and 41-40-1 ATS vs. the number. The Thunder, meanwhile, are 60-22 and 48-31-3 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Houston go 41-41 and the Thunder go 36-43-3 on the totals.
View Oklahoma City vs Houston Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
On the Sportsbook line for this matchup at Sportsbook, the Rockets sat as 3-point underdogs. The total had been pegged earlier by the oddsmakers at Sportsbook at 211.5.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new Power Rankings at Odds Shark, it's the No. 11-rated Rockets and the No. 1-rated Thunder in this matchup. Predictive computer formulas point to a 112-106 win for the Thunder on Saturday.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Houston's No. 2-ranked offense (106 PPG) against a Thunder defense that ranks No. 9 at 96.5 PPG. The Rockets have averaged 46.1% from the field per game, less than the Thunder have managed so far this season (48.1% on average).
Defensively, the Thunder feature the league's No. 11-rated defense on the road, giving up 97.5 points per game. Houston, meanwhile, comes in at No. 3 in the league in scoring at home.
Houston lost its last outing, a 105-102 result against the Thunder on April 24. The Rockets covered in that game as a 11-point underdog, while the 207 combined points took the game UNDER the total. The Rockets got a terrific 36-point performance from James Harden but Oklahoma City handed them a 105-102 defeat on Wednesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Oklahoma City Thunder Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 7-3
Before playing Houston are 7-3
After playing Houston are 10-0
After a win are 7-3
Houston Rockets Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Oklahoma City are 2-8
After playing Oklahoma City are 6-4
After a loss are 6-4
A few Thunder at Rockets trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Oklahoma City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Houston's last 12 games at home
Houston is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games
Next up:
Oklahoma City at Houston, Monday, April 29
Houston home to Oklahoma City, Monday, April 29
