For all of Golden State's erratic ways, the Warriors have been pretty reliable in statement games, as their pair of blowouts over Denver suggests. This is another spot Wednesday amid the absence of Kevin Durant and more reported grumblings from the restless champs. The Rockets will no doubt be a popular public side, but it's time to take advantage of the rare chance to catch the Warriors as an underdog.

Kevin Durant is out with an ankle injury for the Warriors, who come off an embarrassing 115-111 home loss to the Suns as 17-point favorites. You never know what you're going to get with them nightly. The game before they crushed the Nuggets and before that were blown out by the Celtics. They've lost four of their last six games and are 3-13 ATS in their last 16. Meanwhile, the Rockets have won nine straight. I'm on the Rockets.

The Warriors will be shorthanded Wednesday with Kevin Durant (ankle) already ruled out. This was going to be a tough matchup, to begin with, considering the Rockets have won nine straight and are 24-9 at home. The Rockets have won and covered the spread in each of their previous three meetings with the Warriors this season and I like their chances of making it four straight.

Right now the Rockets are the better team. Even though it's tempting when you see the Warriors as underdogs, remember that Houston has beaten them in five of the past six regular-season meetings, including all three this season. Eric Gordon is 26 of 51 from deep in the past five games, and P.J. Tucker is hitting 52.3 percent from deep during Houston's nine-game win streak. Lay the small number.