NBA betting: Two bets for Game 6 of Warriors-Rockets
Following a blowout victory by Houston on Wednesday, the pressure is on Golden State to put the Rockets away tonight in Game 6 in San Francisco. The Warriors seemingly had control of the series after moving in front 3-1, but momentum is on the Rockets’ side heading into Friday.
Fred VanVleet (26 points), Amen Thompson (25) and Dillon Brooks (24) led the way for Houston on Wednesday, with Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green providing secondary scoring, but what can we expect in Game 6?
Here are some of the bets that stand out for tonight’s game.
Odds are as of publication time. For the most up-to-date odds, visit ESPN BET
Bets that stand out for Friday
Jimmy Butler III over 22.5 points (-110)
Butler has cleared this line in two of four games in the series-but context matters. He’s missed multiple games due to injury, and his minutes have fluctuated. He’s shown he can take over when given the opportunity. With Thompson and the Rockets focused on limiting Stephen Curry (who’s also nursing a thumb injury) there’s a strong chance Butler becomes the offensive focal point. Butler’s cleared this line in seven of eight games this season when Curry is in the lineup and he’s played 36 or more minutes. — Eric Moody
Warriors -5.5 over Rockets (-104)
The Warriors and Rockets have played 10 times this season, including both regular season and playoffs, and they tend to play physical, defensive-minded games. They’re games tend to get chippy, with technical fouls on both sides. But what they don’t often do is play close games. The winners of the 10 games have done so by an average margin of 8.4 PPG, with only two of those 10 wins by less than six points. The winning scoring margin is even higher in the five playoffs games, at 10.8 PPG.
This is the Warriors’ second chance at eliminating the Rockets after going up 3-1 then getting blown out in Game 5. The Warriors are playing at home, and they are the veteran squad led by three future Hall of Famers. They absolutely don’t want to go back to Houston for a Game 7 against a young team that’s gaining confidence. I expect the Warriors to play well enough to win, and given that the winners in this matchup tend to win by a significant margin, I expect them to cover. — Andre’ Snellings
Projections and injury reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET
All times ET.
Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors
9 p.m. ET
Line: Rockets +5.5 (-110) | Warriors -5.5 (-104)
Money line: Rockets +190 | Warriors -225
Total: 206.5 (-107 O, -102 U)
BPI Projection: Warriors by 3.2, straight up 60%, 214.5 total points.
Injury Report:
Rockets: Jae’Sean Tate, (OUT – Ankle); Jock Landale, (OUT – Knee)
Warriors: None reported
Source: espn.com