OKC Thunder are the favorites in the NBA Cup Finals by the Past Rockets

The Oklahoma City Thunder will face the Houston Rockets in the NBA Cup semifinal game in Las Vegas, Nevada. After the Milwuakee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks set the stage, the Thunder and Rockets take the spotlight.

While we create a betting column for each game, for this game it feels more appropriate in a plastic city consisting of slot machines, blackjack and poker tables. The FanDuel line shifted a bit this afternoon, from the Thunder being up by 5.5 points to a straight six points before the game started.

Oklahoma City does not have key rotation players like Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams, while the Houston Rockets list Dillon Brooks as questionable. Still, this is a battle between two of the best teams in the Western Conference that duly fought their way to the semifinals.

The Thunder have the best defense in the NBA, and the Rockets aren’t far behind. Points will be hard to come by even if Oklahoma City fields an MVP front-runner in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Maybe the difference in this game is the turnover battle. Houston is the best in the league at securing the rock, while the Thunder were forced into some uncharacteristic errors in their last meeting against the Rockets.

To date, the Thunder and Rockets have played in two completely different affairs. The Bricktown Ballers earned a lopsided victory in Oklahoma City before suffering a bitter defeat in H-Town five games ago.

The truth is often somewhere in the middle: The Rockets lack a good scorer. If big man Isaiah Hartenstein can slow down Alprene Sengun, the Thunder should be able to pull out a win – with Houston having no other offensive power other than another breakaway play from Fred VanVleet, who scored over 30 points in the last meeting between these two teams .

Expect this game to be played in the mud, with labored offensive performances from both sides throughout the game. But in a close duel, Gilgeous-Alexander should be enough to secure the Thunder’s ticket to the title game on Tuesday night, even if the outcome was the opposite a week ago.

To differentiate itself from Houston, Oklahoma City will need its bench to put up big numbers and an all-around stunning long-range shooting night.

Even if the Thunder are downplaying the Vegas trip, their actions on the floor sound different. It’s worth betting on Oklahoma City because such a talented team only has two possessions. Even if the Rockets stay within ten points, that’s still plenty of room for the Thunder to cover.

The bet: Thunder -6

The record: 14-9-1

The game odds are updated regularly and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and needs help, call 1-800-GAMBLER

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