- The Oklahoma City Thunder went 3-0 against the Houston Rockets at home last season and are 6.5-point favorites at home tonight.
- A parlay of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander under 31.5 points, Reed Sheppard over 8.5 points, and Oklahoma City to cover the spread pays +610.
OKLAHOMA CITY – The reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder get the honors of kicking off the NBA regular season Tuesday night as they host the ascending Houston Rockets at 7:30 PM EST.
Rockets vs Thunder Game Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockets | +6.5 (-105) | +215 | O 228.0 (-105) |
| Thunder | -6.5 (-115) | -260 | U 228.0 (-115) |
Legal sports betting sites list the Thunder as relatively large favorites, giving them a 6.5-point cushion against the Rockets.
Home / Road Splits
The Thunder went 35-6 at home during the regular season last year and followed it up by going 11-2 at home in the playoffs for an overall home record of 46-8. They also started off the season by winning seven of their first eight at home.
In those 54 home games, the Thunder outscored their opponents by an average of 16.3 points per game, 5.8 points more than the second closest team.
The Rockets went 23-17 on the road during the regular season and just 1-2 on the road in their first round series against the Warriors, finishing 24-19 overall on the road, the seventh best road record in the league.
Each of the three games played between the two teams in Oklahoma City last season resulted in a win for the Thunder, with an average margin of victory sitting at 14.3 points, none coming by less than nine points.
New Look Rockets
There is an argument to be made that the acquisition of Kevin Durant will make a significant difference, but the departures of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and an injury to Fred Van Vleet leave major question marks.
Though Houston’s roster is laced with veteran presence and young talent, spacing the floor will likely be a cause for concern.
Head coach Ime Udoka has confirmed that the starting lineup for the Rockets will consist of Amen Thompson (27.5% from 3), Kevin Durant (43%), Jabari Smith Jr. (35.4%), Alperen Sengun (23.3%), and Steven Adams (0%).
Outside of the starting lineup, Aaron Holiday and Dorian Finney-Smith are the only players on the roster to have shot 35% or better from the three point line last season.
Last year’s #3 overall pick Reed Sheppard is expected to take up a larger role as well. Betting on Sheppard to score over 8.5 points at even odds is a great value pick in this one.
SGA Struggles?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off an age 26 MVP season and has high expectations of a repeat performance, but bettors may want to fade him in the season opener.
Firstly, SGA has averaged his lowest mark in points per game and field goal percentage in October out of any month throughout his career. Last October, he averaged 26 points per game while shooting 42.7% from the field and 27.3% from deep.
On top of this, Houston is likely to have one of, if not the best defense in the NBA this season with their shortest starter listed at 6’7” tall.
Last season SGA scored 22, 29, 32, 32, and 51 points against the Rockets, just barely clearing the 31.5-point line he has set for tonight’s matchup on two occasions.
This season, without Jalen Green and Fred Van Vleet to pick on defensively, Shai will likely have a much harder time scoring efficiently on Houston.
Pair Gilgeous-Alexander’s under 31.5 points (-110) with the Thunder to cover the 6.5-point spread (-115) and Reed Sheppard over 8.5 points (EVEN) for a +610 parlay at legal NBA betting.
