Rockets vs Thunder Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for the NBA Cup Semifinals

Seed no. 1 and no. 2 in the Western Conference have both advanced to the semifinals of the NBA Cup in Las Vegas on Saturday after the Houston Rockets got a comeback win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.

These teams matched up back on Dec. 1 — playing an absolute barnburner — with Houston eventually pulling out a three-point win at home.

OKC, which knocked off Dallas in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, will look to avenge that loss as a five-point favorite on a neutral court in Las Vegas.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company have won four in a row and are off to an impressive 19-5 start, but these teams are very similar in that they hang their hats on the defensive end — ranking No. 1 and no. 2 in the NBA in defensive rating.

With a trip to the NBA Cup Finals on the line, here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my best bet for Saturday night’s matchup.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Moneyline

Total

Rockets damage report

Thunder damage report

Houston Rockets Best NBA Prop Bet

Houston Rockets big man Alperen Sengun went off against Golden State on Wednesday, scoring 26 of the team’s 91 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. He also dished out five dimes and picked up three steals in the win.

So far this season, Sengun’s scoring is down a bit from last season, but he’s averaging 10.6 rebounds per game. match. That’s where I plan to support him at the prop market on Saturday,

Oklahoma City is a great defensive team, but it struggles on the glass, allowing 47.9 opponent rebounds per game. game (29th in the NBA), and it ranks 28th in the league in rebounding percentage.

Earlier this season, Sengun had 14 boards in a win over OKC and has had 17 games (of 25) with at least 10 boards. That gives him a terrific floor when it comes to this prop on Saturday night.

Oklahoma City Thunder Best NBA Prop Bet

Sticking with the theme of banking on big men, Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein has been terrific after missing the start of the season with a broken hand.

The former New York Knick is averaging 11.6 points, 12.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the field. He had a strong showing against Houston earlier this season, putting up 19 points, 13 rebounds and four dimes in 30:02 of playing time.

I’m targeting Hartenstein’s assists and rebounds on Saturday, as he’s averaging 17.1 combined assists and rebounds per game. match. Outside of a five-rebound showing against Utah, Hartenstein has at least 10 boards in every other game this season.

He’s also dished out at least three assists in every game, giving him a great floor against a stingy Houston defense.

He should handle a heavy workload with the Thunder looking to slow Alperen Sengun tonight.

This game should have a playoff atmosphere in Las Vegas, and even though these teams combined for 235 points in their first meeting this season, I’m looking for UNDER on Saturday.

Houston and Golden State combined for just 181 points in Wednesday’s NBA Cup game, and the Thunder held Dallas to just 104 points in their NBA Cup showdown on Tuesday.

As I mentioned earlier, these are the two best defensive teams in the NBA right now, and they aren’t playing at a crazy pace either. While they both rank in the top half of the NBA in pace — OKC is 10th and Houston is 14th — the UNDER has hit in 13 of the Thunder’s 24 games and 12 of Houston’s 25 games (12-12-1) this season.

Both of these teams have been too good against the spread (Houston is 5-2 ATS as underdog, OKC is 14-9 ATS as favorite) for me to pick a side on Saturday.

Expect both of these teams to lean on their defense with a trip to the NBA Cup Finals on the line.

Select: UNDER 215.5 (-110)

Odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays BetStamp here.