Houston at Minnesota

The Houston Rockets are looking to put a seal on the #4 seed in the NBA Western Conference playoffs. They do have some issues with James Harden possibly missing or being diminished in this game, and Dwight Howard has already missed 10 of the last 12 games. It might not be the offense that takes charge for this team as usual, but a concerted effort on the defensive end to slow things down a bit from their normal frenetic pace. Minnesota has simply been disappointing over the last two sesons. The anticipation was high a year ago that this team was ready to contend, but failed to do so. It was almost a certainty they would this season yet disappointed again. One of the biggest obstacles for this team has been their inability to beat good teams at home. That has continued as the T-Wolves own the worst record in the NBA as a home dog over the last decade plus. Overall, their body of work vs. elite teams is a woeful 11-28-1 ATS in their last 40 when facing a team over .600. The Rockets certainly are not immune to success here as they are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 trips. Minnesota is also 14-6-2 in their last 22 here vs. a team with a winning record, and with Houston controlling the tempo and the game, take them here as well as the UNDER.