Warriors vs. Rockets prediction, odds, pick – 11/2/2024
11/02/2024 12:04 PM
The Warriors visit the Rockets to open the NBA Season! The Rockets are an emerging team, while the Warriors have played great despite their new-look roster. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a Warriors-Rockets prediction and pick.
The Warriors look different without Klay Thompson. Steph Curry is still great, and Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green are decent, so they should provide some decent backup for Curry. This team should stay in playoff contention because of Steve Kerr and Steph Curry. This will be an interesting matchup against a Rockets team with much potential to surprise this season.
The Rockets surprised a little bit last year, and they have gotten aggressive in improving their roster. They have a trio of standout scorers, including Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Fred VanVleet. The Rockets are a dangerous team this season and have a great shot of making some noise in the Western Conference. They have looked decent but have a huge opportunity to prove themselves in this game.
Here are the Warriors-Rockets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Warriors-Rockets Odds
Golden State Warriors: +5 (-112)
Moneyline: +158
Houston Rockets: -5 (-108)
Moneyline: -188
Over: 217 (-110)
Under: 217 (-110)
How To Watch Warriors vs Rockets
Time: 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT
TV: Space City Home Network/NBC Sports Bay Area
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Warriors Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Warriors look different this season compared to last, but the offense is still great. Last year, they scored eighth at 117.8 points per game, 13th in field goal percentage at 47.7%, and seventh in three-point percentage at 38%. Six different Warriors are averaging double digits, with Buddy Hield leading at 21.2 points per game through five games. Andrew Wiggins and Steph Curry are just behind him at 19.7 and 18.3 points, respectively. Curry also leads in assists at 6.7 per game so far this year. Curry is the engine for this team on offense and makes them go, but Buddy Hield and Andrew Wiggins are also key for them and what they can do on this side of the ball this season from a scoring standout and how well they can space their offense.
The Warriors’ defense struggled last year. They were 18th in scoring defense at 115.2 points per game, first in field goal defense at 46.6%, and 11th in three-point defense at 35.9%. Draymond Green is the best rebounder on this team, and he led the way last year with 7.2 rebounds, but this year, Kevon Looney leads the way at eight per game up to this point. Then, eight players are averaging at least one steal per game, with Curry leading the way at two per game. Finally, two players are averaging at least one block per game, with Draymond Green leading at 1.8. The defense is the difference for the Warriors this year because they underwhelmed last year. This will be a difficult game because the Rockets are a physical team, and the Warriors have proven that they can struggle with that.
Why the Rockets Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Rockets’ offense was average at best last season. They scored 114.3 points per game and shot 45.9% from the field and 35.2% from behind the arc. Last season, Alperen Sengun led the team in scoring at 21.1 points per game. Five players are averaging over double digits this season, with Jalen Green starting the year red-hot and leading the way with 27.6 points per game. Then, Fred VanVleet leads in assists at 5.8 per game. The offense will come down to Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Fred VanVleet as the main trio that can consistently get buckets. They need more offensive flow as a team, and their offense has been inconsistent.
The defense for the Rockets was solid last season. They allowed 113.2 points per game, then allowed a field goal percentage of 46.3%, and they had the best three-point defense in the NBA, allowing 34.8% from behind the arc. Alperen Sengun leads in rebounds at 12.4 per game. Three Rockets are averaging at least one steal per game, with Tari Eason leading the way at 1.8. Three Rockets are then averaging 0.6 per game, tied for the team lead in Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Alperen Sengun. Their defense was huge last season, and they will need to be huge again for this team to take that extra step and become a more dangerous team this year.
Final Warriors-Rockets Prediction & Pick
The Golden State Warriors are the better team in this game, with more talent and a better record, but the Rockets will win. The Warriors might be without Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins for this game while the Rockets are fully healthy. I would pick the Rockets even if Curry and Wiggins play because they won’t be 100%. The Rockets win and cover at home in a big game early in the season.
Final Warriors-Rockets Prediction & Pick: Houston Rockets -5 (-108)
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