<p>A matchup between two of the best in the West will take place on Sunday, February 8, with the Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the Houston Rockets at 07:30 AEDT.</p> <p>It will be the first game since the Thunder lost to another Western Conference rival, the San Antonio Spurs, on Thursday. For the Rockets, it'll be a chance to try to close the gap towards the top of the standings.</p> <p>Read on for our Thunder vs Rockets betting predictions…</p> <h2>Quick Picks</h2> <ul> <li>Our pick: Rockets to win</li> <li>Value bet: Rockets to win by 1-10 points</li> <li>Long shot: Thunder to cover the handicap</li> </ul> <h2>Betting Preview</h2> <p>The Thunder will enter this game on the back of a 5-5 run over their last 10 matches. Despite having started the season strongly, they've encountered a few bumps in the road as of late. The same can't be said of the Rockets.</p> <p>Prior to their game against the Charlotte Hornets, they've been one of the in-form teams of the NBA. They were on a run of 7-3 over their last 10, which included the defeat to the Boston Celtics.</p> <p>Of course, it's a game that features numerous stars across the court. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be out after picking up an injury, but we should still see Kevin Durant play, who is one of the GOATs. Alperen Şengün is one of the league's rising stars.</p> <h2>Betting Markets to Watch</h2> <p>So, how does this contest look on paper, based on past events? If you're new to <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/punter-iq/guide/how-to-bet-on-the-nba">how to bet on the NBA</a>, this matchup offers some interesting angles.</p> <p>Over the last five games, there has been one dominant team: the Oklahoma City Thunder. They hold a 4-1 record, having won all three games played at their home venue.</p> <p>With this in mind, we think that there may be value in the handicap market and the Thunder covering the spread. As we noted, they've not been in the best of form recently, but with a strong H2H and home record this regular season, they've been excellent.</p> <p>However, it's worth recognising that they are banged up. Against the Spurs, they were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Ajay Mitchell. They played their backups and stayed in the game, which is why we think the handicap could be worth exploring.</p> <h2>Our Prediction</h2> <p>Check the latest <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-us/nba">NBA betting odds</a> at Sportsbet.</p> <p>We are making the prediction that the Houston Rockets win this game. Despite what we mentioned above, we think that it is more likely that the Rockets win due to the significant injuries that the Thunder have had to deal with recently.</p> <p>They've been off the boil over the last 10 games, showing signs of inconsistency as the injuries take their toll on the NBA champions. With both teams eyeing <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/events/nba-playoffs">NBA playoffs betting</a> implications, every game matters at this stage of the season.</p> <p>We don't think it'll be a big points margin, so the Rockets to win 1-10 points offers value worth exploring. For more analysis on upcoming games, check out our <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/nba/tips">NBA tips and predictions</a>.</p> <h2>Keep Reading</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/nba/nba-news/nba-positions-explained-basketball-roles">Point guard to centre — every position on the court explained</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/nba/nba-news/nba-plus-minus-explained">The plus-minus stat and what it actually tells us</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/nba/nba-news/how-to-stream-the-nba">How to catch NBA games from Australia without missing a tip-off</a></li> </ul>