Getty Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors drives against James Harden of the Houston Rockets in last year's playoff showdown.
After an exciting seven-game series between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets last season, fans were clamoring for another go-round between the two Western Conference foes. Fans are so excited that early lines/odds have been released for the series before the first round of the NBA playoffs was even finished. While the matchup won’t happen in the Western Conference Finals again, the two are scheduled to run into one another in the second round of the playoffs for what should be another incredibly exciting showdown.
The Warriors recently lost DeMarcus Cousins for likely the remainder of the playoffs but have the offensive firepower to the point where they don’t really miss a beat. Meanwhile, the Rockets battled through injuries all season before emerging healthy heading into the playoffs. Chris Paul is starting to show his age a bit more but the duo of Paul and James Harden is still incredibly deadly.
Let’s take a look the most recent line, odds, and prediction for the epic Warriors vs. Rockets round two showdown.
Warriors vs. Rockets NBA Playoff Series Betting Line & Odds
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(Line Courtesy of Action Network)
- No. 1 Golden State Warriors: -360
- No. 4 Houston Rockets: +280
While the early line is heavily in Golden State’s favor, this matchup might be a bit closer than it seems on paper. While the Warriors dominated the point differential against the Rockets their last playoff series, the Rockets were able to grab a 3-2 series lead before Chris Paul went down and they fell apart. More importantly, the banged-up Rockets put together a 3-1 season series record against the Warriors this year, despite losing key complementary role players like Trevor Ariza. Don’t let the heavy odds fool you, this should be a very competitive series.
Rockets vs. Warriors NBA Playoff Prediction
The Rockets have built themselves out over the past few seasons to essentially counter the Golden State Warriors. What they lack in pure star power (Harden/Paul vs Curry/Durant/Thompson/Green), they make up for with a versatile lineup filled to the brim with "three and D" spot up shooters. While Harden isn't the best defender, he has made big strides in collecting turnovers and helps to round out what is otherwise a stellar defensive lineup.
All of that said, you can still plan/prepare perfectly for the Warriors and simply be unable to handle them. When the Warriors are on, they simply have too many offensive weapons to account for. Having three of the best deep ball artist in NBA history on the floor at the same time, all of whom can take over and win a game on their own, is unprecedented.
Seeing as Daryl Morey and the Rockets have built their team to be a foil to the Warriors, expect some resistance. Unfortunately for the rest of the league, Curry, Durant, and Thompson are an unstoppable three-headed monster that should prove to be an insurmountable task – once again. Look for the Warriors to pull out this win in another nail biter seven-game series.
Prediction: Warriors in Seven (Odds TBA)
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