3 Best NBA Bets and Player Props for Warriors vs. Rockets in Game 5 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 5 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 5 Betting Picks

Warriors Over 100.5 Points (-108)

Following Game 4's win, the Warriors are on the verge of making their third Western Conference Semifinals over the past four seasons. In his first game back from injury, Jimmy Butler continued to produce in the playoffs by logging 27 points. This goes hand-in-hand with Houston allowing the 13th-highest shot distribution around the rim during the regular season, per Dunks & Threes.

Along with success from Butler around the rim, Stephen Curry is still doing his thing in this series by posting 26.0 points per game (PPG) while shooting 51.4% from the field and 41.0% from three-point land. With 4.0 made threes per game, Curry is engineering a three-point attack that's logging 15.0 made triples per contest. The Rockets allowed only 12.4 made threes per game during the regular season (second-fewest) along with the third-lowest shot distribution from beyond the arc.

I made the mistake of taking Golden State to go under its scoring total in Game 4. After posting its largest scoring total of the series, I'm turning my attention to the over. This is simply a bad recipe all around for Houston. It usually excels at slowing threes, yet that's been completely wiped. Plus, the Warriors are armed with a talented paint scorer in Butler, exposing one of the Rockets' nagging weaknesses.

Several projection models have Golden State going over 100.5 points, too, including DRatings (107.9 points) and MasseyRatings (108.0 points).

Fred VanVleet Over 14.5 Points (-102)

Despite holding the 10th-lowest three-point percentage during the regular season, triples continue to feel like a big key for Houston. The Warriors give up the 12th-lowest shot distribution from beyond the arc compared to the lowest around the rim. So far, the Rockets' top three-point shooters have been getting a ton of volume.

For example, Fred VanVleet is attempting 10.3 three-point shots per game compared to 9.0 during the regular season. After posting only 8.5 PPG in the first two games of the series, he's averaging 21.0 PPG over the past two. Three-pointers were the driving force with 10.5 attempts and 5.5 makes per contest in the span.

During this series, Curry has a 111.1 defensive rating while Gary Payton II carries a 124.4 defensive rating. Curry has the largest rating among Golden State's starting lineup while Payton's mark is alarming. Both players are regular matchups for VanVleet, once again pointing to scoring success.

Amen Thompson Over 7.5 Rebounds (+126)

During this series, Amen Thompson is averaging 3.0 offensive rebounds per game. This doesn't feel like a mirage, either, for Houston finished 1st in offensive rebounding rate during the regular season while the Warriors ranked 13th in defensive rebounding percentage.

Game 2 was shaky for Thompson, for he grabbed only one rebound. However, he played for only 23 minutes compared to logging 33.7 minutes per contest over the other three games. His minutes should continue to go over 30 minutes, and in that split for this series, Thompson grabbed 8.3 rebounds per game (RPG).

The Rockets are favored by four points tonights, and DRatings and MasseyRatings each have Houston winning. Assuming the Rockets find a way to get it done, winning the battle on the glass is a clear key. This once again puts direct focus on Thompson. He was second on the team in RPG during the regular season at 8.2.

Considering Thompson's rebounding totals when getting his usual minutes, I like his alternate total of over 7.5 rebounds. We aren't asking for much as its on par with his season-long average, and Thompson has performed well on the offensive glass thus far.

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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.