Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors Prediction and Betting Tips

The Golden State Warriors went from impressive to mid in a span of five games. They are 0-5 after being pummeled twice at home and thrice on the road. To compound their woes, they are a banged-up unit hosting a bruising Houston Rockets at Chase Center on Thursday (Dec. 5). With Steph Curry and Draymond Green ruled out of the matchup, the Dubs will now bank on Buddy Hield and their bench strength to stand up against an impressive Houston side that's taken off to a healthy 15-7 record to take second place in the West.

The Rockets are coming off a drama-filled loss to the Sacramento Kings. Alperen Sengun and Ime Udoka were tossed in the final minutes of the game, but before going down against Sacramento, they racked up a string of wins to go 7-3 in their last 10 games.

Golden State is plagued with issues. To begin with, Steve Kerr's deep rotation has not paid the kind of dividends he expected. Against Phoenix, 13 players played in the first 15 minutes and yet, they couldn't buy a win. Secondly, Curry's nagging knee injury, which he said has "the potential to be a nagging type" thing, and Draymond Green with a calf injury is a double-whammy to a team looking to bounce back.

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A win on Thursday will be step one to righting the Warriors' ship. Gone is that clinical offense, the impeccable ball movement, and more importantly, that stifling defense that saw them take the No. 1 seed in the stacked West earlier this season. At the time of writing, they are tied with the Suns and the LA Lakers with 12 wins. What's worked in their favor is the least losses (eight), compared to LA's 10. Sitting sixth, the Warriors are in danger of losing half a dozen straight if their depth fails against the Rockets.

This will be the second meeting between both teams this season before they meet again on Dec. 11 in the quarterfinal of the Emirates NBA Cup skirmish. The winner heads to Las Vegas to face the winner of the skirmish between the Dallas Mavericks and the OKC Thunder. It's also worth noting that the Rockets have not won a game against the Warriors since before the pandemic. The Warriors are 14-0 against Houston, with their last win coming in November this year, courtesy of a Hield Hurricane.

Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors: Preview, predicted starting lineups, betting tips, odds, and prediction

The Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors tips off at 10 pm ET. Local coverage will be on NBA TV, NBCS-BA, and SCHN. The game can be streamed live on Fubo TV (regional restrictions may apply) and on the NBA app with a subscription to the NBA League Pass.

Here's a look at the odds as listed at the time of writing.

Teams	Spread	Total (o/u)	Moneyline
Houston Rockets	-3.5	o220.5 (-110)	-161
Golden State Warriors	+3.5	u220.5 (-110)	+135

Note: Odds are subject to change closer to tip-off.

Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors preview

The Rockets have endured a tough start to their West Coast three-game road trip. They were put away by the Kings, and will now face a side they haven't beaten in a while. They take on former Rockets icon James Harden and the LA Clippers to end their week. Breaking the losing streak against Golden State will be a top priority for the side that's played good ball overall this season.

Despite the flak Kerr has copped in recent times for his head-scratching decisions he is still one of the more successful head coaches in the league who knows what it is like to face counterpart Ime Udoka. They went toe-to-toe when the latter's Boston Celtics played the Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals. Udoka's defensive schemes made Boston an elite side on defense — an identity he has now carved with Houston.

The Rockets are 16th in offense, propping up 113.0 points per every 100 possessions. They are 26th in field goal percentage averaging 41.8% per game. They are 26th again in three-point shooting, drilling 33.1% of their shots. Their defense, however, has been thorough. They allow a measly 105.6 points per 100 possessions to be fourth on scoring defense.

The Golden State Warriors will need more from their young names. They are averaging 116.1 points per game, and 112.0 points per 100 possessions to stay ninth in the league on offense. They shoot 45.7% from the field (20th) and 37.3% from downtown (11th) to remain a potent offensive unit. Defensively, they are eighth in scoring defense with the recent stretch of L's. They concede 105.9 points for every 100 possessions.

Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors Predicted Starting Lineups

The Rockets have listed guard Fred VanVleet (right knee contusion) as questionable. Tari Eason (concussion protocol) is out. Should the former indeed play, the visitors will likely stick to the same lineup that played the Kings.

Position	Player
PG	Fred VanVleet
SG	Jalen Green
SF	Dillon Brooks
PF	Jabari Smith Jr.
C	Alperen Sengun

The Golden State Warriors will be without Curry (knee), Green (calf tightness), and DeAnthony Melton (Left ACL surgery). Andrew Wiggins (right ankle impingement) is questionable. If Wiggins sits out, Kerr might look at bringing in Moses Moody and Gary Payton II off the bench to play SF and SG respectively.

Position	Player
PG	Brandin Podziemski
SG	Gary Payton II
SF	Moses Moody
PF	Jonathan Kuminga
C	Trayce Jackson-Davis

Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors Betting Tips

Alperen Sengun comes into the matchup with an o/u of -103/-133 on points. Jalen Smith is -114/-120 on points. Dillon Brooks is -106/1-28 on points + rebounds. For Golden State, Buddy Hield is -106/-120 on points + boards. Jonathan Kuminga is +100/-118 on points, and sophomore guard Brandin Podziemksi is -113/-128 on points.