Coming into the postseason, the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors have met four times in the playoffs. Those four previous matchups – all occurring between 2015 and 2019 – ended the same way: Golden State eliminating Houston.
It’s fitting that the first team the Rockets faced after a four-year hiatus from the playoffs was the Warriors. Through the first four games of this Western Conference series, Golden State was on track to recreate those previous matchups thanks to a 3-1 lead in the first-round matchup.
Houston put together its best performance of the postseason, cruising to a 131-116 victory over the Warriors on Wednesday. With their backs still up against the wall, can the Rockets repeat that formula in California on Friday night? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player prop wagers for Game 6 of this opening-round series.
In his 16th season, Warriors star Steph Curry has continued to excel. The 37-year-old finished among the league’s top 20 in points (24.5) and assists (6.0), lines that have dropped from Curry’s peak performances.
Still, he’s able to be a game-changer despite the downturn in his performance. In his team’s first three contests against Houston, Curry averaged 29 points, 7 assists, and six rebounds to build a 2-1 advantage over the Rockets.
The past two contests have been forgettable by comparison. His shooting percentage has dipped to a combined 40 percent for Games 4 and 5, and Curry is just 29 percent from the three-point line in those outings. Expect Curry to change those totals on Friday, and bettors should take the over on this points prop bet.
Golden State veteran Jimmy Butler sat out Game 3 of this series after sustaining an injury. The diagnosis revealed it was not as severe as originally believed, and he returned to the court in Game 4.
The Warriors need Butler to be at his best on Friday to eliminate the Rockets. Since arriving in California, the 6-foot-7 forward has averaged 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists for Golden State.
His production has dropped in the postseason because the Rockets are a bad matchup for the veteran, in addition to his injury. Expect Butler to find a way to contribute offensively but take the under on his rebounding prop bet for Game 6.
Houston doesn’t make their postseason run without Jalen Green. The fourth-year player put together another stellar regular-season showing, finishing with 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists for the Rockets.
His performance in the postseason has been anything but outstanding, however. Except for a Game 2 explosion, Green has been quieter than a church mouse.
He’s averaged 8.8 points and 2.5 assists in every game beyond the second of this series. Expect that trend to continue, keeping him from covering this combo prop bet.
We’re not picking the upset here. While most games in this series have been double-digit winning margins, bettors should expect this game to be close throughout.
Golden State has been the better team, and outside of a strong effort on Wednesday, remains the front-runner to win this matchup. The Rockets will cover their spread in a losing effort on Friday.