Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Picks, Predictions, Odds and Player Props

Saturday’s second NBA Cup semifinal features two of the Western Conference’s up-and-coming sides. Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder have deep, young rosters packed with talent and for one of those two this could be a real coming-of-age victory.

The Thunder are out to overcome their injury issues to reach Tuesday’s final, while the Rockets are tasked with taking down the Western Conference leaders. Who will take another step towards leaving Las Vegas with the NBA Cup?

Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder betting picks and predictions

Houston Rockets ML (+195)

This clash between teams that rank first and third in the Western Conference should be considered quite even, but it’s hard to side with the Thunder given their injury problems. While their front office has more than proven themselves in recent years, drafting the injured Nikola Topic has left them vulnerable.

The biggest absence for the Thunder is Chet Holmgren, leaving a potential size advantage for the Rockets' center rotation of Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams when Isaiah Hartenstein is off the court. Matching up with the floor-stretching Sengun already looks like a tricky test for Hartenstein. 

On top of that, the Thunder are without Ousmane Dieng and Jaylin Williams in their frontcourt. The Rockets are close to full health with Dillon Brooks their only slight doubt. That should allow Ime Udoka’s side to continue their excellent defensive record, as they are ranked second in the league in that category.

One failing the Rockets have straightened out is their away form. Last season the bulk of their wins came at home, but this season they are 7-5 on the road. That’s important ahead of this clash at a neutral venue, as is their experience edge.

The Rockets have really nailed getting experienced heads in the dressing room alongside their raft of top draft picks. NBA champion Fred VanVleet and veteran Adams are great locker-room leaders for a game like this. Brooks also has a brilliant record for Canada in elimination games, so the Rockets look well-placed for an upset. 

Fred VanVleet 20+ points (+270)

VanVleet will need a big performance to help the Rockets to victory and there’s reason to believe he can deliver. Across two meetings with the Thunder this season, VanVleet has taken on more of a scoring role. His assist numbers have dropped to 2.5 per game in those encounters, but he’s averaging 24.5 points on 69% True Shooting.

The gap since Wednesday’s victory over the Golden State Warriors also boosts the former Toronto Raptor. Across the three occasions this season where the guard has had three or more days of rest, he’s averaging 20 points per game.

VanVleet is famous for his bet on yourself mantra, so back him to thrive in Vegas. 

Isaiah Joe over 0.5 combined steals and blocks (+105)

The Thunder’s injury issues should offer minutes to Isaiah Joe, who has generous odds to pick up either a steal or a block in this game. The 25-year-old has 15 steals and five blocks across 22 appearances this season and he could boost his tally in the latter category. 

Only three sides across the league have seen their opponents average more blocks than the Rockets this season, while the Thunder lead the league in steals. That will be a key part of their defensive strategy given the number of ball-handlers the Rockets have, so back Joe to make either a steal or a block in a game which looks likely to suit him on the defensive end. 

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Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder odds

Houston Rockets	+195
Oklahoma City Thunder	-240
Spread	OKC Thunder -5.5
Total Points	O/U 216.0

Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder player props

Player Points

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC Thunder)	O/U 30.5
Jalen Williams (OKC Thunder)	O/U 21.5
Alperen Sengun (HOU Rockets)	O/U 19.5
Jalen Green (HOU Rockets)	O/U 17.5
Fred VanVleet (HOU Rockets)	O/U 15.5
Dillon Brooks (HOU Rockets)	O/U 12.5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.