Betting the point spread in the NBA is arguably the hardest of any sport.
Many joke that the acronym stands for “Nothing But Aggravation,” but sometimes you can cash a ticket by handicapping the schedule more than the matchup.
The Houston Rockets host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday as 4.5-point underdogs with a total of 222.5 points.
The Rockets just snapped a three-game skid with a narrow win over the short-handed Chicago Bulls. Houston was favored in all four games and is actually 0-6 against the spread (ATS) in its past six games. This is their worst stretch of the season.
During this six-game run, they are 51-for-212 shooting from 3-point territory, which is 24 percent.
This is stunning for a team that includes Kevin Durant and Reed Sheppard, but they are also short-handed and approaching a midseason lull.
Meanwhile, the Thunder just emerged from a 6-6 rut and have won four straight games, including a 21-point win over the San Antonio Spurs in their last game. That was a big hurdle to clear, as they had lost the three previous meetings.
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I think OKC is poised to keep it rolling. While the Rockets will likely control the boards, the Thunder have so much more depth and shooting.
I have an 88-77-2 ATS record in this Post sports section, and my next play is the Thunder -4.5 points. (-110, BetMGM Sportsbook).
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor who has over two decades of experience in the betting space, including spending 11 years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He’s also the rare personality who has documented success – 14th place in 2023 Circa Million and Las Vegas SuperContest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K) and also grabbed headlines with a $297K win on the 2021 NFL Draft.
