Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Game 4 Odds, NBA Betting Pick

The top-seeded Houston Rockets will look to find their offensive rhythm and head home with a 3-1 lead when they visit the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday as solid road favorites for Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round NBA playoff series.

The Rockets, who ranked second in the league in scoring during the regular season en route to earning the NBA's top record, are averaging just under 104 points per game through the first three games.

NBA point spread: The Rockets opened as five-point favorites; the total is at 219, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NBA betting pick, via OddsShark computer:106.0-104.9, Rockets (NBA picks on every game)

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Why the Rockets can cover the spread

Houston can cover the spread by simply getting back to basics and shooting the ball better. The team had its highest point total of the series in a 121-105 loss in Game 3 on Saturday, failing to cover the spread as a six-point road favorite.

The Rockets got 46 points from their All-Star backcourt of James Harden and Chris Paul, but only 17 points from the other three starters combined.

Still, they averaged more than 112 points per game prior to the playoffs and also played solid defense at times. Now is the perfect time to prove themselves as the best in the West.

Why the Timberwolves can cover the spread

Minnesota has covered the spread in two of the first three games, and this team can even the series at 2-2 by playing exactly like it did in Game 3.

Jimmy Butler outplayed Harden with 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting (4-of-6 from three-point range) and only one turnover, and he has looked healthy through the first three games after dealing with a knee injury toward the end of the regular season.

Derrick Rose also provided a nice boost off the bench with 17 points, and he has played better in this series than during any other stretch of the season between the Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers. The two former Chicago Bulls just need to keep it going in order to keep this one close.

Smart betting pick

Butler's health was an obvious concern heading into this series, but so far he has played well enough to keep Minnesota competitive in two of the first three games.

The Timberwolves ended an eight-game series losing streak on Saturday, and their confidence will only grow. They improved to 9-6 against the spread in the past 15 meetings, too, according to the OddsShark NBA Database, so bet them to cover again.

NBA betting trends

Houston is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games.

The total has gone under in six of Houston's last seven games.

Minnesota is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games.

All NBA odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.