The Atlanta Hawks covered the basketball gambling spread as NBA online betting odds road dogs against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Thursday. Dwight Howard had 24 points and 23 rebounds in his first game back in Houston since coming to an agreement with the Hawks during the offseason. Tim Hardaway Jr. had a career-best 33 points, including 23 in the fourth quarter. Atlanta entered the fourth quarter 13 points behind before Howard and Hardaway led a late game rally. Additionally, DeAndre’ Bembry guarded James Harden and his beard and held them to six points in the fourth quarter.
Harden had 41 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, while Clint Capela added 22 points and nine rebounds. However, the Rockets made a big mistake (Big. Huge) when they fouled Hardaway on a driving dunk. Crossover Jr. made the subsequent free-throw to put the Hawks ahead by one with two minutes left. Atlanta head coach Mike Budenholzer made a bold decision during that last quarter. White socks with black shoes? Not that bold but almost; he left Paul Millsap and Dennis Schroder on the bench in order to keep the streaking unit on the court. And no, a streaking unit is nothing like that Blink 182 video.
The gambit paid off and the Hawks won the game 113 to 108. According to NBA online betting odds trends, Atlanta is 2-4 against the basketball betting spread in the last six games. The Rockets did seem to be on top of things on Thursday, though. Houston extended a three-point lead at halftime to nine in the beginning of the third quarter. Things were going so smooth for the Rockets that Harden even had time to give a shout out to his boy Floyd Mayweather in the front row. Kind of reminds you of a certain hare and a certain turtle. “Honestly, we did a good job in the first three quarters,” Harden said, “and in the fourth quarter, I don’t know what happened.” Come on James, you should know that the fourth quarter is really the only one that matters.
Undoubtedly the Remarkable Rockets are having a breakthrough season and when all is said and done they might have the coach of the year, the 6th man of the year, and the league MVP among their ranks. As it is, however, their defense is not about to win any awards. Can Nene protect the rim? In the immortal words of John Pinette, I say nay nay. Houston ranks 19th in the league in blocks per game (4.6) with only Capela blocking more than one shot per game – which is more than should asked of a player with a busted fibula. Furthermore, the Rockets are 11th in the league in rebounds per game overall, but 24th in 2017. Houston has gotten by well enough on sheer firepower, and is second in the Southwest division, though with four more games than division leaders the Spurs. Per NBA online betting odds the Rockets are 1-5 against the basketball gambling spread in the last six games.