Free NBA Playoffs Pick: Warriors vs Rockets Lines
Looking for Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets free playoff picks? NBA betting sees the Warriors taking on the Rockets on Sunday April 24, 2016 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball playoff matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions.
(73-9) Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets (41-41)
Round 1: Game 4
Date: Sunday April 24, 2016
Time: 3:30PM EST
Venue: Toyota Center in Houston, Texas
NBA Moneyline Odds: Off
NBA Betting Odds: Off
NBA Betting Total: Off
Live NBA Odds
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Houston has life again after a wild finish to game 3.
It took them down to the last possession to finally secure the W against Golden State, but they now have the opportunity to tie the series and send it back to the Bay Area as a best two out of three.
It sounds like Steph Curry will be ready to go in Game 4, so the good vibrations floating around the Houston locker room might be short lived.
Houston Rockets
They had to get one.
With a perennial MVP candidate on the roster, it was only a matter of time before James Harden threw the team on his back and willed them to a victory with a dominant performance.
I thought he would save it for a potential elimination game in Game 4, but Christmas came a game early for Rockets fans.
Harden finished Game 3 with 35 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals. He also made 11 trips to the free throw line and hit a spinning game winner with 2.7 seconds remaining.
Perhaps even more important was the fact that he received contributions from a number of other players in this contest.
Four other Rockets players (Howard, Beasley, Motiejunas and Beverly) scored in double digits on the game, and all but Beverly shot 45% or higher on the night.
J.B Bickerstaff rode his horses hard in this one. While the box score will show a ten-man rotation on the evening, 3 of those players played under six minutes. He stuck with his best players in a key game and may need to do the same tonight to have a chance at another upset.
Despite the win, the Rockets still struggled in a number of areas. They still shot 39% as a team, turned the ball over 16 times, everyone other than Harden combined to shoot 41% from the charity stripe. Not the formula for sustained playoff success.
The pressure is on. If they end up in an elimination game in Oakland, you can turn out the lights on one of the more disappointing teams of the 2015-2016 season.
Golden State Warriors
After making it look easy without Curry in Game 2, the Warriors showed that the are not as invincible as most people think. They definitely didn’t make it easy on the Rockets but there were some trends for the Warriors that don’t align with their usual norms.
The most glaring issue for them in Game 3 was their production, or lack thereof, from the 3-point line.
The team typically shoots 41.6% as a team and in this one they only managed to go 6 of 25, good for 24%. The biggest culprit being Klay Thompson hit didn’t hit a single three ball in seven attempts.
The Warriors still produced 23 assists on 34 made field goals and took care of the ball for the most part. Draymond Green turned it over 7 times alone, but this matched the turnover total from the rest of the team combined.
The most telling stat with the Warriors is how they performed in the face of adversity. They haven’t lost back to back games once this season. Additionally, their average margin of victory in the game after a loss was +16.5, so needless to say they don’t take kindly to other teams beating them.
In Curry’s only game played in this series, it wasn’t much of a contest and I struggle to see a scenario where the Warriors go back home tied 2-2, so long as Curry plays.
NBA Betting Trends:
- Warriors are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS loss.
- Warriors are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 Sunday games.
- Warriors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Western Conference.
- Rockets are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 Sunday games.
- Rockets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
- Rockets are 20-6 ATS in their last 26 games playing on 2 days rest.
Free Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets NBA Prediction:
Golden State comes out firing in this one. Their 3 point shooting is too much for the Rockets to overcome and the series shifts back to Oakland with Houston on the brink of elimination. Golden State takes Game 3 on the road.
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: There’s no line yet. Check back later for a free ATS or O/U pick.
NBA Free Score Prediction: Warriors 118 – Rockets 99
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