NBA Betting: OKC Thunder Favorites to Land in NBA Cup Final Past Rockets

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets go toe-to-toe in a fun game in Vegas for the right to advance to the NBA Cup. The Thunder have to play in the mud with the Rockets to get a win.

Dec 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) controls the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) defends during the game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder will face the Houston Rockets in the semi-final game of the NBA Cup, taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada. After the stage is set by the Milwuakee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks, the Thunder and Rockets will be under the lights.

While we do a betting column for every game, something feels more fitting for this game in a plastic city built by slot machines, blackjack and poker tables. The FanDuel line has shifted a tad this afternoon, going from the Thunder favored by 5.5 points, to a flat six points before tip-off.

Oklahoma City is without mainstay rotational pieces like Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams while the Houston Rockets tab Dillon Brooks as questionable. Still, this is a bout between two of the best squads in the Western Conference, who fittingly navigated its way to this semi-final clash.

The Thunder own the best defensive in the NBA with the Rockets lagging not far behind. Points will be hard to come by, even as Oklahoma City rosters an MVP front-runner in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Perhaps the difference in this game will be the turnover battle. Houston is the league-best at securing the rock, while the Thunder were forced into some abnormal errors against the Rockets in its last meeting.

To date, the Thunder and Rockets have played in two vastly different affairs. In Oklahoma City, the Bricktown ballers pulled off a lopsided win, before dropping a nail-bitter in H-Town five games ago.

The truth is often in the middle, with the Rockets lacking a go-to scorer, if big man Isaiah Hartenstein can slow Alprene Sengun, the Thunder should be able to pull off a win - with Houston lacking any other offensive punch short of another outlier Fred VanVleet game, who scored over 30-points in the last meeting between these two teams.

Expect this game to be played in the mud, with laboring offensive performances from each side littered throughout the game. However, in a tight contest, despite it going opposite a week ago - Gilgeous-Alexander should be enough to punch the Thunder's ticket to the title game on Tuesday night.

Oklahoma City will need its bench to post big numbers and all-around a jaw-dropping shooting night from distance to seperate itself from Houston.

Despite the Thunder downplaying the Vegas trip, its actions on the floor sing a different tune. Oklahoma City is worth betting on with a team this talented favored by just two possessions. While the Rockets will keep it within ten, that is still plenty of wiggle room for the Thunder to cover.

The Bet: Thunder -6

The Record: 14-9-1

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER

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