NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder Vs Houston Rockets Pick and Predictions 02/01/2023

Game: 8:10 PM ET,  Wednesday, February 1st, 2023

Venue: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: NBA League Pass

Thunder: 24-26, 11th place Western Conference

Rockets: 12-38, 15th place Western Conference

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Thunder -5.5, O/U 232.5

PointsBet: Point Spread: Thunder -5.5, O/U 233

Fanduel: Point Spread: Thunder -5.5, O/U 232.5

Thunder: SF Aaron Wiggins, PF Jalen Williams, C Kenrich Williams, PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG Josh Giddey

Rockets:  PG Dashien Nix, SG Eric Gordon, SF Taru Eason, PF Kenyon Martin Jr, C Jabari Smith Jr.  

Usually when the 11th place team in the NBA’s Western Conference plays anybody… It can’t be called a mismatch.  An 11th place team is usually vulnerable to practically anyone and therefore nothing is a mismatch.  However, in this case?... The 11th place Thunder will play the 15th place Western Conference Houston Rockets… It is absolutely a mismatch. The Thunder are not much better than the Blazers and Lakers because they are a team that is slowly building around young, exciting, high draft picks… but the Houston Rockets are the most pathetic case of “tanking” in memory.  The Rockets do not even want any wins… Nothing that could rock the boat on their shot to land 7’4 French teenager C Victor Wembanyama.  The Rockets are so insistent on losing games that their starting line-up of mostly too young, too inexperienced players are deliberately played with a veteran defensive weakness at key spots on the floor. That way it looks like they are trying while they certainly are not.  Also the recent high draft picks the Rockets have made?… have not panned out as well as the recent high picks of the Thunder or the Magic… or even Detroit.  So this nefarious front office also seems to be bad at the “tanking” mission.  

The Oklahoma City Thunder have won 6 of their last 10 games.  They also are 7-2-1 ATS during that stretch.  They lost their last game 128-120 to the Golden State Warriors… ultimately the Warriors got the win by having much more depth.  The Thunder are in the very envious position of having the best young backcourt in the league.  The Combination of PG/SG Josh Giddey and PG/SG Shai Gilgeous Alexander has this team poised for a meteoric rise if the right big man is added to the mix.  In the loss Shai had 31 points & 7 assists while Josh had 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.  It is uncertain if they will shuffle a little at the trade deadline.

The Houston Rockets have only won 2 of their last 10 games… and are sadly only 2-8 ATS.  That means when they do win they beat the spread because they are always underdogs… and when they lose they tend to lose big… even against big spreads. Not able to cover, 9, 10, 9.5, 7.5, and 8.5 during this recent stretch.  They did however win their last game against the Detroit Pistons 117-114.  In the loss they got 24 points from veteran SG Eric Gordon while he had a bad shooting night overall and 4 other Rockets had small double figure nights.  The truth is the Rockets only won because the Piston are nearly as bad and they are playing without their best player in Cade Cunningham.

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The Thunder are 5th in the NBA in scoring with 116.9 points per game, 11th in rebounds with 44.1 per game, They are ranked 2th in defense of scoring while allowing 115.9 points per game.  A thin margin of +1 point a game is why they are not yet a playoff basketball team.

The Houston Rockets are 29th in the NBA in scoring with 109.6 points per game, 4th in rebounds with 46.8 per game.  They are ranked 24th in defense of points while allowing 117.1 points per game.  Having a points margin of -7.5 is why this is a team that loses nearly everything AND also loses spreads on a regular basis.

Our prediction for Wednesday, February 1st is…. Thunder 123 - Rockets 99

Blow Out Alert.  Not only are the Rockets playing a limping line-up of too “not yet ready” guys anyway… They are also without C Alperen Sengun.. Probably the only consistent bright spot on the roster all season.  They are sitting ducks to get eaten alive.  Ignore the spread and bet away. Bet on the Thunder.

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Houston is 3-1 ATS versus OKC at Houston the last 3 seasons.

Houston is 79-119 ATS in all games the last 3 seasons.

Houston is 11-27 as a home underdog of 6 points or less the last 3 seasons.

Thunder: SG Shai Gilgeous Alexander.  Don’t cry over spilt milk… it’s all just water under the bridge… woulda coulda?... These are all phrases you hear around the Los Angeles Clippers facilities… because a few seasons ago they traded Shai plus way too many draft picks… AND some other players to match salaries to get Paul George.. And it has not exactly worked out.  Paul George is a fine Clipper and all… But since then the young Shai has grown into one of the NBA’s ten best players… He is averaging 31 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.  He is an all-star.  He alone has won that trade… and the Thunder still got 6 draft picks.

Houston:  SG Eric Gordon.  Eric deserves better.  A sweet shooting veteran of the NBA that has played on better teams with many better teammates. He doesn’t have too much time left on his NBA clock and he is wasting away.  Maybe the trade deadline will provide him some much needed relief.  However… getting rid of Eric Gordon would take away the Rockets trick of sticking the undersized 2 guard who plays minimal defense at the small forward spot… which guarantees losses by the bunches.

Thunder: Mark Daigenault

Rockets: Stephen Silas JR