Warriors vs. Rockets Game 5 Betting Preview: Can Houston Win 3 Straight?

Game 5 Betting Odds: Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors

• Spread: Warriors -6
• Over/Under: 219.5
• Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
• TV Channel: TNT
• Series Score: Tied 2-2

>> All odds as of Tuesday night. Download The Action Network App to get real-time odds and live win probabilities on your bets.

Both teams have held home court through four games, and we're back in Oakland to start a best-of-three series.

Will the Warriors rally after two straight losses and cover? Our analysts weigh in.

Betting Trends to Know

The Warriors have dropped back-to-back games. This is just the sixth time in the playoffs Golden State has lost consecutive games under Steve Kerr. In the previous five times, the Warriors went 5-1 SU and ATS in their next game. – John Ewing

The Warriors are going for history in 2019. Golden State is trying to become the fourth team since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976-77 to win three consecutive titles, joining the 2000-02 Lakers and both Bulls teams of the 1990s.

Since the merger, eight teams have won back-to-back titles with the opportunity to win a third straight. All eight teams experienced exactly what the Warriors are feeling right now — losing back-to-back games on that journey. Here is why that next game has been pivotal in history:

• 4 of those 8 teams lost the next game and all four lost the series.
• 4 of those 8 teams won the next game and 3 of the 4 went on to 3-peat (exception: 1991 Pistons) – Evan Abrams

Is the bounce back inevitable for the Warriors? They shot 8-of-33 (24.2%) in Game 4 against the Rockets — the lowest 3P% in their last 26 playoff games.

Under Steve Kerr, the Warriors are 15-1 straight-up and 10-6 ATS at home in the regular season and playoffs after shooting below 25% from 3-point range in their previous game, winning by 12.4 points per game. Golden State’s one loss in that spot came against the Thunder in the 2018 playoffs by 28 points. – Abrams

Locky: How I'm Betting Game 5

This series has really come to a boil, and thanks to the Warriors missing those 3s at the end of Game 4, we are headed for a dramatic finish.

In the Game 4 betting guide, I mentioned that the Warriors desperately need bench help (or even bench mediocrity), but none is forthcoming. They just have no one to turn to. And that theme reared its head again in Game 4, as Kevon Looney was the only bench player who played more than 15 minutes, with Shaun Livingston getting 13, Alfonzo McKinnie playing 11 and Jordan Bell coming in for about five seconds to have a cup of coffee and give up a basket.

Austin Rivers played big bench minutes for Houston and that was about it, but that was only because it was going so well. The point is: The Rockets have options. The Warriors have none.

This is really problematic in such a long, grueling series. With Klay Thompson clearly laboring and Andre Iguodala now nursing a hyperextended knee, the Warriors just aren’t their usual selves right now — and more importantly, it seems unlikely they can get back to that high level of play.

Making matters worse, the Rockets have now thrived with their PJ Tucker-at-center, super-small-ball lineup and found something that is really giving Golden State problems. I’m not sure there’s a great adjustment to that if Houston is going to dominate the glass with THAT lineup.

The best news of all? This game is still being lined like the Warriors are the Warriors. Games 1 and 2 were lined between Golden State -5 and -6, and Game 5 sits -6.5 despite everything I just said.

I’m not sure Houston will win the game, but every game in this series has been played within an extremely tight margin. If anything, I’d expect the Warriors to crack in Game 5 before the Rockets do given the fatigue/injury factors involved. I’ll take Houston plus the points. — Ken Barkley

Editor’s note: The opinions on this game are from the individual writers and are based on their research, analysis and perspective. They are independent of, and may not always match with, the algorithm-driven Best Bets from Sports Insights.