2 Best NBA Bets and Player Props for Warriors vs. Rockets in Game 1 of the Playoffs

The NBA playoffs are here, and even within a single game, betting markets are abundant.

You can bet traditional markets like the spread or the total, but we've also got tons of player-prop markets to sift through.

Which bets stand out today as the Golden State Warriors face the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the Western Conference Playoffs?

Let's dig into the best bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA betting odds, utilizing FanDuel Research's NBA projections to try to find value.

Warriors at Rockets Game 1 Betting Picks

Under 213.5 Points (-110)

This should be an entertaining series as we have a veteran Warriors team with stars who have gobs of playoff experience taking on a young Rockets team that has some key core pieces who are entering the playoff foray for the first time.

The defenses can shine in Game 1.

Houston has been a really good defensive team all season long, ranking fifth in defensive rating for the campaign. They're also just 16th in pace. With Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason and Amen Thompson in the fold, Houston has the defensive weapons to make life difficult on Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. They did exactly that on April 6th, holding Butler and Curry (1-for-10 shooting) to a combined 16 points in a 106-96 win (202 total points).

While that wasn't a playoff game, it was a really big game for a Golden State side that was trying to avoid the Play-In, and Houston took it seriously, too, playing their usual rotation en route to locking up a top-six seed.

On the Golden State side, this isn't the Warriors of old. The Dubs ended the year 17th in pace, and since the addition of Butler, their defense has taken off, ranking 9th in defensive rating across the final 15 games.

Houston wants to muck it up and make this a slugfest. The pre-Butler Warriors might have tried to avoid that, but with Jimmy in town, Golden State has proven it can be successful in that style and may actually prefer it (outside of Steph transition threes). All in all, I think we'll see a low-scoring Game 1.

Amen Thompson Over 1.5 Steals (+116)

Amen Thompson has a chance to burst onto the national scene in these playoffs, and I think he wants all the smoke when it comes to guarding Curry and Butler.

At 6-foot-7, 209 pounds, Thompson looks like he was spit out of a computer to be a modern NBA defender. He's a rare-level athlete in a league of elite athletes. But it's not just his attributes and athleticism -- it's also his fearless, don't-back-down attitude, which has led to scuffles on multiple occasions. Add it all together, and you've got a future DPOY candidate who already has a ridiculous defensive highlight reel.

Thompson will likely see a ton of Butler and/or Curry this series, which means he'll be around the ball a lot. That puts me on Thompson to record multiple steals in Game 1.

In the aforementioned game against Golden State on April 6th, Thompson amassed three steals and two blocks in 29 minutes. He was a wrecking ball and was a big reason why Curry scored only three points in the contest.

And even if the Rockets, at times, put Eason and Brooks on Butler and Steph and then let Thompson help off Draymond Green in a free safety-type role, that might actually boost Thompson's steal opportunities.

Either way, Thompson to get at least two steals is my favorite bet of Game 1.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.