The Oklahoma City Thunder (13-6) travel to face off against the Houston Rockets (8-9) on Wednesday, December 6th. This game will be played at Toyota Center in Toyota Center and televised on Spac. The Thunder are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Rockets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Mavericks. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.
Thunder vs Rockets
The Thunder Are Coming Off A Win
Jalen Williams scored 23 for Oklahoma City against the Mavericks which was the most on the team. His field goal percentage for the game was 44%. As the Thunder secured the victory with a final score of 126-120, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also chipped in with 17 points.
In their last ten games, the Thunder are 8-2 and come into today’s game vs. the Rockets with an overall record of 13-6. When playing on the road, the Thunder are 7-2 compared to 6-4 at home.
The Thunder have covered the spread successfully in their previous three games and maintain an overall ATS record of 15-4. Currently, the Thunder have a six game ATS win streak when they are favored, and they are 7-2 against the spread as underdogs.
The Rockets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
The Rockets were defeated by the Lakers in the most recent game, concluding with a score of 107-97. Despite being behind at halftime 60-44, the Rockets picked up the win.
Heading into today’s game vs. the Thunder, the Rockets are 8-9 and are looking to get above .500. In the Western Conference, the Rockets are in 10th place, while in the Southwest division, they are 3rd.
Houston has an overall ATS record of 11-5 as they come into today’s game. On the road, the Rockets have an ATS record of 3-4, as opposed to a 8-1 record against the spread when playing at home.
Thunder Offense Breakdown
The Thunder step onto the court for today’s game as one of the NBA’s top-scoring squads, putting up 119.7 points per game (5th). The Thunder come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 13.3 made 3’s per game. In addition to their strong outside shooting numbers, the team is playing at one of the fastest paces in the NBA, averaging 99.6 possessions per contest.
Rockets Offense Breakdown
The Rockets come into today’s game as the 26th ranked scoring offense at 110.1 points per game. So far, the Rockets are averaging 96.6 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. A key aspect of the team’s offensive struggles is the fact that they not only play at a slow pace, but they struggle to score inside. Heading into today’s game, Houston is just 18th in shots made inside the arc.
Thunder Team Defense
At this time, the Thunder’s defense is positioned 9th in the NBA, permitting 111.4 points per game.
In the terms of takeaways, Thunder are causing 12.5 turnovers per game, ranking 8th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 9th in rejections, averaging 5.8 blocked shots each game.
Rockets Team Defense
Coming into the game, the Rockets defense has held opposing team’s to fewer points than the league average in 35.3% of their games. Currently, they are 2nd in the NBA at 107.2 points per game allowed.
Houston’s defense is currently forcing 12.2 turnovers per game, which is 6th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 26th in blocked shots, with an average of 4.4 rejections per game.
Key Players For The Thunder And Rockets
In today’s game, we anticipate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the scoring for the Thunder, contributing 19 points while shooting 7/13 from the field. For the season, he has been averaging 29.9 points per game, in addition to 5.7 rebounds.
On the other side, Alperen Sengün is our projected leading scorer for the Rockets. We have him ending the game with a team-high 19 and grabbing 7 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 54% and is averaging 21 points per contest.
Thunder vs Rockets Trends
- In their last five road games, Oklahoma City has averaged 124 points per game while allowing 109 . The team’s record in this stretch was 4-1 while going 5-0 vs. the spread.
- In their last five games at home, the Rockets have a straight up record of 0-5 while going 2-2-1 vs. the spread. The team averaged 111 points per game in this stretch.
- The last three games that Houston was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 0-2-1 while going 0-3 straight up.
- Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Oklahoma City has an ATS mark of 8-2 while going 8-2 straight up.
Thunder vs Rockets Prediction
We’re calling a win for the Thunder, with a final score of 111-106, and we’re taking them to cover the spread. Our recommendation is to bet on the Thunder at -2.5.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 227 and given that our model is projecting 217 points between the teams, we like the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:December 6, 2023 Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Teams