It’s looking like the Houston Rockets might not ever lose again as they’re run their winning streak to 15 games. A win tonight in the 3/6 NBA free pick against OKC would tie Houston for the longest winning streak in the league this year. Since the turn of the calendar year the Rockets are 22-4 and have climbed into the #1 seed in the Western Conference.
Of course tonight’s contest features two teams, and OKC needs a win as they have slipped to the 7th seed in the West. The Thunder do have a 112-107 win over Houston on Christmas day as Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Carmelo Anthony combined for 75 points. Can the trio combine for another big night and put an end to Houston’s win streak?
Rockets and Thunder rank 29th and 30th respectively in passes thrown per game. Houston is ranked 2nd in offensive rating, OKC is 12th.
— SerpentWings (@SnekWings) March 6, 2018
Expect a Barrage of 3-Pointers From Houston Tonight
The Rockets winning streak has surprisingly come as the team has decided to slow down the pace and get the best possible matchup in each possession. In four of the last eight games for example the Rockets have scored less than 105 points – all wins of course. This doesn’t mean that the Rockets still don’t launch the ball from beyond the arc as their 42.6 three point attempts per game are 1st in the league. OKC on the other hand allows the 7th most three pointers in the NBA so the 3/6 NBA free pick could be high scoring if Houston is hitting.
The Thunder did get the win in that Christmas Day game but there are two major differences in tonight’s rematch. First off, the Rockets were without Chris Paul in that game and were in the midst of a five game losing streak. Also, OKC had the services of Andre Roberson who contained Harden to shoot 7-18 from the field and 3-11 from three point range. The Thunder are 8-8 since Roberson suffered a season ending knee injury and his loss could be especially exploited tonight.
Oklahoma City Hopes Home Court Cures Them
There’s a perception that the Thunder have been playing mediocre basketball lately and it’s true they’ve gone just 6-4 in their last 10. It’s important to take into account that 7 of those 10 games have been road tilts however. The Thunder are 21-10 at home this season and they expect a raucous crowd for the 3/6 NBA free pick as Houston visits on a long winning streak. The Thunder did go just 2-3 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in February so they’re hoping flipping the calendar to March leads to better success.
The Thunder are coming off a loss in Portland that snapped a three game win streak but OKC was without Carmelo Anthony that game due to scheduled rest. It’s really been Paul George and Russell Westbrook leading the way for the Oklahoma City offense anyway though. George has gone for 20+ in 9 of the last 10 while Westbrook has 30+ points and double digit rebounds in three straight games. The Thunder shot over 50% from the field and 44.4% from three point range in the first meeting with Houston so expect another big night from the OKC ‘O’ on Tuesday.
3/6 NBA Free Pick Betting
Oddsmakers have set the line at HOU -5 on the road which is up a bit from the -3.5 open. 63% of public bettors are staking that Houston covers on the way to their 16th straight win. The Rockets have covered 7 straight road games against teams with winning home records while the Thunder are just 1-4 ATS in their last five home games. Even so, it’s games like this that Oklahoma City especially gets up for as evidenced by a 24 point win in Cleveland at the end of January and a 20 point win in Golden State at the start of February. Houston very well may get the ‘W’, but OKC should at least keep it within a 5 point game.
Free Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder -5
