Russell Westbrook makes his return to Oklahoma City on Thursday night as he and the Houston Rockets tangle with the Thunder. Westbrook, who played his first 11 seasons with the franchise that drafted him fourth overall in 2008, will look to lead the Rockets to their fourth straight win after sitting out Wednesday’s 122-115 triumph over host Atlanta.
- Date/Time: January 9, 9:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: Chesapeake Energy Arena
- TV Coverage: TNT
- Sportsbook Odds: Rockets -2.5 | O/U 222.5
- Rockets vs Thunder Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Rockets opened at -2.5 and have remained there at the majority of sportsbooks. The Sportsbook total of 222.5 has risen to 223.5 in some spots but is predominantly sitting at 223.
Houston News & Notes
The Rockets remain the highest-scoring team in the NBA thanks largely to the bucket-filling exploits of James Harden, whose 38.5 points per game leads the league by a wide margin. And Harden has been even more prolific when playing the back end of a back-to-back, averaging an incredible 44.0 points in three games in that situation.
But make no mistake: Thursday night is all about Westbrook, who will go down as one of the most entertaining players in Seattle/Oklahoma City franchise history. He’s coming off a sensational showing in December when he averaged 27.1 ppg while adding three triple-doubles and shooting a blistering 90.1 percent from the free-throw line.
Oklahoma City News & Notes
The Thunder will need to avoid getting caught up in the Westbrook hype – but that shouldn’t be a problem for a team playing some of its most impressive basketball of the season. Oklahoma City is a sizzling 10-2 SU in its past 12 games and has converted seven consecutive covers, limiting six opponents to 106 or fewer points in that span.
While Westbrook will undoubtedly be the focal point in this one, there’s another guy that has an ax to grind against a former team. Former Rocket/current Thunder guard Chris Paul is coming off one of his most impressive offensive showings of the season, having poured in 28 points with four three-pointers in a 111-103 overtime victory over Brooklyn.
Betting Pick: OVER 222.5
The prevailing totals trend between these teams might suggest otherwise, but with Westbrook looking to make a statement and Paul also coming in with added motivation, both offenses should be on full display in this one.
- Houston is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games.
- Oklahoma City is 7-0 ATS in its last 7 games.
- The UNDER is 4-1 in Oklahoma City’s last 5 home games vs Houston.
