Warriors, Rockets Have Identical Title Odds; 1st Time GSW Isn't Sole Favorite

The Golden State Warriors are no longer the sole favorites to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2018. 

As OddsShark shared on Twitter, the Houston Rockets and defending champions now both feature plus-120 odds (bet $100 to win $120) to take home the title heading into the final stretch of the regular season:

Houston boasts the best record in the NBA at 62-15 and already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, ensuring James Harden and his teammates would have home-court advantage in a potential postseason showdown with Golden State.

There are plenty of reasons to like the Rockets even when stacked up against the mighty Warriors.

They won two of the three regular-season head-to-head showdowns and have a sparkling 32-6 record at home in 2017-18. The Warriors would have to beat them at least once at the Toyota Center and then take care of business at Oracle Arena to advance in a series, and Houston has been particularly stingy in front of its own fans.

Houston is also top of the league in offensive rating and seventh in defensive rating, per NBA.com, and can win contests on both ends of the floor even if its shots aren't falling.

The presence of Chris Paul also takes some of the burden off Harden's shoulders, as both are capable of running the show with their three-point shooting, ability to penetrate and finish at the rim, and tendency to kick it out to the litany of shooters ready on the perimeter when defenders collapse on their offensive attack.

As for Golden State, Stephen Curry is nursing a Grade 2 MCL sprain, Andre Iguodala is dealing with knee soreness and Patrick McCaw was stretchered off the court during Saturday's win over the Sacramento Kings following a hard fall.

Draymond Green, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson have also all missed time with injuries while the team has struggled to remain healthy as a unit.

The Warriors still have the experience with three straight trips to the NBA Finals and two championships in that span, but the odds reflect the fact it is no longer a foregone conclusion they will win the title again.