Houston at Portland

The Houston Rockets staved off elimination at home in game five with a convincing 10-point win. The Rockets did most of their damage in the paint, where they scored 60 points. The Blazers shot the ball poorly, and LeMarcus Aldridge had his worst game of the series, if not the season, shooting 3-12, and was limited to 8 points. The 8 points was just the second time this season he scored less than 10, and the first time doing so when playing 30 minutes or more. Houston has now covered three straight, but when facing an opponent in a closeout game five or later as a road dog - these teams have never covered! The Rockets are also 1-8-1 ATS this season when playing on the road from a pick-em to dog, against a team with a winning percentage of greater than .566 when they are off a win. This game has seen four of the five play OVER the total, but keep in mind that overtime has contributed 78 points in this series thus far, and I think it has driven up the total. While the fourth quarter parade to the free throw line piles up the points late in the game, the first half should be intensely played on the defensive end. Take Portland and go with the first half UNDER.