An 11-game NBA slate on Sunday is highlighted by a double-header on NBC that concludes with the Houston Rockets hosting the Golden State Warriors. Golden State is locked into a play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference, while Houston could be anywhere from the No. 3 seed to the No. 6 seed.
Let’s dive into my Rockets vs. Warriors prediction.
Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors odds
Money line: Rockets -155 / Warriors +130
Spread: Rockets -3.5 (-110) / Warriors +3.5 (-110)
Total: Over 226.5 (-110) / Under 226.5 (-110)
Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors best bet: Rockets -3.5 (-110)
Warriors star Stephen Curry has finally been cleared to play and — despite being listed as questionable — will be on the court for the first time since January 30. The former Davidson standout has been sidelined for more than two months with a knee injury. It’s good news for head coach Steve Kerr’s team that he is back, of course, but it’s hard to expect a full workload right off the bat and even his effectiveness in however many minutes he does log could also be in question.
Golden State is 4-11 in its last 15 games and comes in on a three-game losing streak. Even with Curry, the Warriors were 2-3 in their last five games before he went down. The Dubs will be in the 9-vs.-10 game in the play-in tournament regardless of their upcoming results, so there is next to nothing at stake for them on Sunday. It’s a different story for the Rockets, who are No. 5 in the West right now and could climb as high as No. 3. Kevin Durant and company are on a five-game winning streak, with all five victories coming by at least six points — including four by double-digits. It should also be noted that not a single player on Houston’s roster has any kind of injury designation at the moment. This line is relatively low because of Curry’s return and home-court advantage for Golden State. But it’s probably too low.
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