Friday, April 21, 2017

Chesapeake Energy Arena

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The Houston Rockets travel to Chesapeake Energy Arena to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, April 21, 2017 in Game 3 of their Playoff series. Houston leads the series 2-0. The opening line for this matchup has Oklahoma City as 2.5 point favorites.

The Rockets finished the regular season with an overall record of 55-27. They were 2nd in the Southwest Division. They had a point differential of 5.7 as they averaged 115.3 points per game while giving up 109.6 per contest. The Thunder had a regular season record of 47-35. They finished the year 2nd in the Northwest Division. They averaged 106.6 points per game and surrendered 105.8, good for a point differential of 0.8.

Valuable Houston Rockets Betting Trends

The Houston Rockets are 42-39-1 against the spread

The Houston Rockets are 41-40-1 against the over/under

Important Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Trends

The Oklahoma City Thunder are 45-36-1 against the spread

The Oklahoma City Thunder are 33-43-6 against the over/under

Key Houston Rockets Injuries

04/02/17 F Sam Dekker Hand out indefinitely

Key Oklahoma City Thunder Injuries

No key injuries to report

Player Spotlight

Eric Gordon comes into this contest averaging 16.2 points per game while playing 31 minutes per night so far this season for the Rockets. He pulls down 2.7 rebounds per game and dishes out 2.5 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 41% while his free throw percentage is currently at 84%. James Harden averages 29.1 points per game in 36.4 minutes per contest this season. He averages 11.2 assists per contest and 8.1 rebounds per game for Houston. His field goal percentage is 44% for the year while his free throw percentage is 85%.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other NBA games check out our handicapping tips.

Player Spotlight

Russell Westbrook averages 31.6 points per game while playing 34.6 minutes per contest this year for the Thunder. He grabs 10.7 rebounds per game and has 10.4 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 43% and his free throw percentage currently is at 85%. Steven Adams averages 11.3 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 29.9 minutes per contest. He also averages 7.7 rebounds per contest and 1.1 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 57% and his free throw percentage is 61%.

Useful Team Statistics

Houston averages 115.3 points per contest this season which ranks them 2nd in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is 5.77 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team which has them ranked 12th. Behind the arc they shoot 36% which is good for 15th in the league. They average 44.4 rebounds per game and 25.2 assists per game which ranks them 9th and 4th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 6th with 15.1 per game. The Rockets allow 109.6 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 26th in the league. They also allow a 46% shooting percentage and a 34% average from behind the arc ranking them 23rd and 3rd in those defensive categories. Opponents average 44.1 rebounds a game which ranks 19th and they give up 24.1 assists per contest which puts them in 26th place in the league. They force 15.1 turnovers per game which ranks them 26th in the league.

Useful Team Statistics

Oklahoma City averages 106.6 points per game this year which ranks them 11th in the league. Their average scoring margin is 0.76 and their shooting percentage is 45% as a team which has them sitting in the 17th spot in the league. Behind the arc they shoot 33% which is good for 30th in the NBA. They average 46.6 rebounds per game and 21 assists per contest which ranks them 1st and 25th respectively. In the turnover department the Thunder rank 7th with 15 per game. The Thunder allow 105.8 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 16th in the league. They also allow a 46% shooting percentage and a 36% average from behind the arc ranking them 19th and 14th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 40.7 rebounds a game which ranks 3rd and they give up 21.4 assists per contest which puts them in 6th place in the league. The Thunder force 13.8 turnovers per game which ranks them 13th in the NBA.

Advanced Statistics

The Rockets have an offensive rating of 114.7 and a defensive rating of 109. In terms of pace they average 100 possessions per 48 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 55%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 58% and they shoot 3 pointers on 46% of their shots. Houston turns the ball over an average of 13.3 times per 100 possessions and they force 13.2 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 52%.

Advanced Statistics

The Thunder rating on offense is 108.3 and they have a defensive rating of 107.5. They get 97.8 possessions per 48 minutes and they have an effective field goal percentage of 50%. As a unit they have a true shooting percentage of 54% and they attempt 3 pointers on 30% of their shot attempts. Oklahoma City turns the ball over on 13.2 out of every 100 possessions and their opponents average 12.5 turnovers per 100 possessions. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the year is 51%.

Who will win tonight's Rockets/Thunder NBA game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take Oklahoma City -2.5

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