Beard only attempted five free throws last game, and we doubt that happens again.
BOVADA’S NBA SCORING PROP BETS FOR GAME 4:
Odds c/o Bovada.lv
Game 3 was a disaster for the Houston Rockets, but if we know one thing about the playoffs, it is this: Teams adjust. To expect James Harden and Chris Paul to come out and combine for a “mere” 33 points again seems unlikely, and all the more so considering Golden State will be without its best perimeter defender in Andre Iguodala.
While the Rockets may rebound from a tough loss, the Warriors are still 8.5-point favorites playing in the NBA’s toughest venue. Let us examine the scoring prop bets on these teams’ best scorers, respectively.
James Harden over/under 31.5 points
James Harden “only” dropped 20 points last game, and from everything we know about superstars, they tend to react harshly to both getting blown out and playing below their individual capabilities. For that reason, we expect Harden to rebound and have a 30-plus point game.
Now, you’re asking “Isn’t the point total for him set at 31.5?” Indeed, it is, and that makes it a tougher call, but we’re still going to go with the OVER, on the basis that Harden puts his head down, gets into the paint, and does what he does best: draws fouls.
Harden attempted just five free throws last game, and undoubtedly after film study, he is determined not to let that occur again. OVER.
Eric Gordon over/under 15.5 points
Eric Gordon is the toughest to predict of Houston’s three top scorers. He had just 11 points on 4 of 13 shooting, which ordinarily would lead us to believe he falls below this line, but it does not. Why? Because he took 13 shots, and also because six of those attempts were triples. If there is one thing we can count on with E.G. it is that he will shoot the ball, and though Game 3 saw him knock down just 4 of 13, the entire Rockets team struggled and it became a pandemic. Houston was just 39.5 percent from the floor as a team. As Harden rebounds, so does Gordon. OVER.
Chris Paul over/under 20.5 points
Chris Paul seems to be having the most problems of any Houston player in this series, which is surprising given how well he had played up until this juncture. Paul attempted 16 shots in Game 3, but he hit just five and he was 2 of 8 from downtown. While CP3 is undoubtedly one of the great point guards, we expect him to turn in a great game but finish with “high teens” in points, making this an UNDER.
Stephen Curry over/under 27 points
Stephen Curry has saved his best until now.
There’s a good reason for that: He was injured.
Now, despite his struggles in the first two games in Houston, he is cooking on his home court and the fans are loving it. He is in his element. The question is not whether he goes over 27, but whether he can score 40 and put himself back on the map as Golden State’s most lethal scorer. Even if he doesn’t, they still win a title, but Steph is just starting to remember why they called him and Klay “The Splash Brothers,” it seems. OVER.
Klay Thompson over/under 20.5 points
Klay Thompson is the most unpredictable No. 3 option in a while. He scored only 13 points in Game 3, after having just eight in Game 2. Then there was Game 1 where he erupted for 28 points and hit 9 of 18. With that kind inconsistency, we see no option here but a PUSH.
Kevin Durant over/under 29.5 points
Kevin Durant should be in line for another stellar game, but if Curry puts his mind to it, some touches that Durant had been getting may evaporate, which would make it hard for him to score 30 in the same game I’ve already boisterously said Curry erupts for 40 in. But this is Kevin Durant. To be clear, I really have no idea where I’m going with this notion, which is why I’m more comfortable saying PUSH, here, too.
