Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs: Odds, Analysis, NBA Playoff Betting Pick

The second-seeded San Antonio Spurs hope to bounce back from a brutal performance in the series opener when they host the third-seeded Houston Rockets again as solid home favorites for Game 2 on Wednesday.

The Spurs are coming off a 126-99 loss in Game 1 as six-point home chalk and will need to shoot much better if they are going to even this second-round series at 1-1.

Point spread: The Spurs opened as 7.5-point favorites; the total is at 216.5, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NBA betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 110.8-104.8, Rockets (NBA picks on every game)

Why the Rockets can cover the spread

The Rockets are not known for playing great defense, but they do have a much younger and more athletic team than San Antonio, which was one of their big advantages heading into the series.

The original thought for some was that Houston may be able to eventually tire out the Spurs in a long series, which could still happen.

However, the Rockets came out strong offensively from the start and saw six players score in double figures. Their defense was truly the difference though, holding San Antonio to 36.9 percent shooting from the field (31-of-84) and outrebounding them by a 49-45 margin.

Why the Spurs can cover the spread

The Spurs can obviously play much better than they did in Game 1, and bettors should expect an inspired performance in Game 2 at home. San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich is a master motivator and one of the best in the business for a reason.

Popovich will find a way to get an improved effort from star Kawhi Leonard, who had a team-high 21 points and 11 rebounds in defeat.

However, Leonard's teammates need to do a much better job supporting him as well, and Popovich will make that happen too.

Smart betting pick

Houston lost the previous three meetings and six of seven in the series (2-5 against the spread) before pulling off the road upset on Monday.

The Rockets have not covered two in a row against the Spurs in the same season since 2014, and they will be playing a much different opponent in Game 2.

Look for San Antonio to rebound with a double-digit victory to easily cover the spread at online sports betting sites.

NBA betting trends

Houston is 4-10-1 ATS in its last 15 games.

Houston is 4-2 ATS in its last six games.

The total has gone over in each of San Antonio's last five games.

All NBA lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.