The Warriors take on the Rockets in Houston for their last game before the All-Star break. After some massive shakeups at the trade deadline, the addition of Jimmy Butler changes what this team can be. Now, with a legit big three, can they take down one of the hottest young teams in the league? We’ll see, but either way, this game should be fun to watch.
Jonathan Kuminga Out
Tari Eason Out
Steven Adams Out
Cody Zeller Out
Jabari Smith Jr Out
Fred VanVleet Questionable
Houston, a couple of weeks ago, looked absolutely destructive. They were seeing players elevate their game left and right with the emergence of Amen Thompson making national headlines after some massive games. However, this group has begun to show cracks after some key injuries, notably losing Fred VanVleet. At the end of January, they went on a six-game losing streak, which ended a few nights ago in a game against Toronto.
Golden State, on the other hand, has committed to the veterans. Butler has provided a dynamic third option to this team, but at the cost of Wiggins and the bench, will it pay off? It’s hard to say if this core group, all in their mid-thirties, will be able to rescue this season. The team is currently stuck in no man’s land with an even 27-27 record. With a limited number of games post-All-Star game, they’ll have to turn things around quickly to escape the play-in.
Looking at the matchup, the Warriors are the underdogs for good reason considering how new this group is. We’re still figuring out what to expect from this squad. Considering the Warriors were able to beat the Rockets twice already this year does give them some hope. However, in both of those wins, Kuminga was the key player, with him sidelined tonight, this matchup might end differently.
Houston is still the smart choice for this game. They have some of the best young talent, with Sengun, Thompson, and Green. It’s a tough trio beat. The absence of VanVleet hurts, but the Rockets could very well out physically the Warriors. However, the veteran talent is intimidating in this matchup. Even though Houston feels like the smart money, my gut is leaning towards Golden State tonight.
Money line: GSW (+195) / HOU (-238)
Total Points: 218.5
Spread: +6 GSW (-112) / -6 HOU (-108)
Looking back at how this team plays Houston, Golden State does all the small things well. With Draymond and now Butler, I don’t think the Rockets will be able to abuse the offensive boards. So many of their points come from second-chance buckets, which is a big reason GS has already had success over the Rockets this year.
I think we’ll see Golden State dictate the pace tonight. If they’re able to slow down the ball and force lots of half-court offense, the score could be a bit lower. Considering the defense should be solid between Green and Butler with Houston’s streaky shooting, under 218.5 looks solid.
This line feels off anyway, but Golden State will keep things tight even if they lose. The Rockets haven’t been burying teams, either. Most of their wins over the last 15 games have been only by a few points.
For some reason, Butler will get to the line a lot tonight. If he can get 8 or 9 free throw attempts, then this number should be correct in line. With a young defender all over the place, Jimmy is a savvy enough guy with size and mobility to find contact.
Sengun has been solid this year on both ends of the court. Considering he’ll be going to the All-Star game this weekend, he’ll likely be fairly locked into tonight’s game. He could have a solid night if he can take advantage of this small frontcourt on GS.
Curry will have some solid options to pass to tonight. He did have eight assists the other night against Dallas, so he’s been moving the ball well. Averaging 5.7 assists in February, this bet is probably a coin flip.
This is the flier bet of the day. Dillon Brooks has always been an incredibly streaky three-point shooter, but against teams like this, he seems to show up. Making four threes against the Sun yesterday, this should be another game where he can jack up shots.