Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 03/04/2024, 23:00  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 04/04/2024 at 04:44 in NBA Predictions

The Houston Rockets will play host to the Golden State Warriors at the Toyota Center in the NBA on Thursday night. The hosts are currently 38-37 and 11th in the Western Conference, while the visitors are 41-34 and tenth in the Conference standings. 

This is a crucial match in the race to remain in contention for the playoffs and the Golden State Warriors currently have a three-game advantage over the Rockets with seven games to go. The Warriors seem to have found top gear at just the right time, as they head into this match riding a five-match winning streak. They pulled off an excellent 104-100 win against the Mavericks on Tuesday night, with Andrew Wiggins leading the team with 23 points, four rebounds, and two assists, while Klay Thompson and Chris Paul added 13 points each. Golden State are the eighth-best offense in the league this season, scoring 117.8 points per game, which is 5.2 more than Houston typically concede. Defensively, the Warriors are allowing 115.6 points per game, ranking 17th overall. They are notably better on defense at home, where they allow 3.0 fewer points than on the road. Dario Saric and Jonathan Kuminga are doubts for this match. 

Meanwhile, the Rockets dragged themselves back into playoff qualification contention over the last few weeks, posting a sensational run of 11 consecutive wins, which saw them just one shy of the Warriors. However, they were unable to keep it going, losing two back-to-back games, first to the Mavericks 125-107 and then to the Timberwolves 113-106 on Tuesday night. Against Minnesota, Jalen Green put in a standout performance with 26 points, five rebounds, and six assists, while Fred VanVleet added 22 points and five assists. Houston rank 16th in scoring offense this season, putting up 114.1 points on average, 1.2 fewer than the Warriors allow. Defensively, they are allowing 112.6, earning them the final spot in the top ten defenses in the league. This could easily end up being Houston’s most important match of the season to date, and a win will give them a massive boost of confidence in the final stretch of the season.