The Houston Rockets host the Golden State Warriors in a 2024 NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup on Wednesday. Both teams won their respective groups to set up this contest, and the winner will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals of the NBA in-season tournament on Saturday. The Warriors have dominated the recent series, winning 15 in a row, including two victories already this season. Alperen Sengun (knee) is questionable for Houston, with Andrew Wiggins (ankle) questionable for Golden State and Moses Moody (knee) ruled out.
Tipoff is at 9:30 p.m. ET from the Toyota Center in Houston. According to SportsLine consensus, Houston is a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Rockets vs. Warriors odds. The Rockets are -124 on the money line (risk $124 to win $100), while Golden State is at +104. The over/under for total points is 222.5. Before making any Warriors vs. Rockets picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 8 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 121-83 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Rockets vs. Warriors and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Warriors vs Rockets:
- Rockets vs. Warriors spread: Houston -1.5
- Rockets vs. Warriors over/under: 222.5 points
- Rockets vs. Warriors money line: Houston -124, Golden State +104
- HOU: The Rockets are 8-1 ATS over their last nine home games
- GSW: The Under is 9-2 over the last 11 Warriors games
- Rockets vs. Warriors picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Rockets vs. Warriors streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Warriors can cover
You simply can't ignore the 15-game win streak that the Warriors are on versus Houston, and they've been nearly as impressive versus the spread. Golden State is 11-3-1 ATS over this stretch, and the squad is 7-3 versus the line as an underdog in this season. While the Rockets have a strong defense, the most points they've given up all season was the 127 they allowed, at home, in a loss to the Warriors last month.
Golden State is led on the offensive end by Steph Curry's 23 points per game, but he has plenty of help as the Warriors' 47.7 bench points are the second-most in the NBA. Even with that production, the defensive end is the squad's strength. The team has allowed the third-lowest field goal percentage and the second-lowest 3-point percentage, in addition to ranking fourth in defensive rating. Additionally, Steve Kerr's squad is loaded with battle-tested veterans, while only two of the Rockets' top eight players, in terms of minutes per game, have played in a playoff game, so they may be unfamiliar with this type of atmosphere. See which team to pick here.
Why the Rockets can cover
Just two teams have a better cover rate than the Rockets, who are 16-8 versus the spread. This isn't just a one-year thing as since Ime Udoka took over as head coach, Houston is 21-8-1 ATS as a favorite, the second-best mark in the league. Udoka has implemented a defensive scheme in Houston that is working wonders, with the team emphasizing crashing the glass. The Rockets lead the NBA in both offensive and defensive rebounds, and the latter limits second-chance opportunities for opponents.
Even when opponents get scoring opportunities, they usually don't make the most of them as Houston forces the lowest 2-point percentage and gives up the second-fewest 3-pointers per game. As a result, the Rockets allow the third-fewest points per game, with the team having balance on the other end. Seven players average over 11 points, with center Sengun having an All-Star worthy season. The Turkish big man is averaging 18.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists as one of five NBA players averaging at least 15, 10 and five. See which team to pick here.
How to make Warriors vs. Rockets picks
The model has simulated Rockets vs. Warriors 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning under on the total, projecting 214 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Warriors vs. Rockets, and which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rockets vs. Warriors spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 121-83 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.