Rockets Championship Odds Sit at +1100 as Russell Westbrook Will Miss Part of First Round Playoff Series With Quad Injury

• Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook will miss the start of the 2020 NBA playoffs
• The Rockets were 8-6 this season without Westbrook in the lineup
• Is now the time to bet the Rockets to reach the NBA Finals? See the 2020 Championship odds below

The Houston Rockets got some bad news on Thursday, as it was announced that they’ll be without Russell Westbrook for the start of their first-round playoff series.

As they get set to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, just how big of a concern should bettors have in relation to the Rockets championship futures?

2020 NBA Championship Odds

Odds as of August 13th

Westbrook Out at Least a Few Playoff Games

The Rockets playoff run will have to start without Westbrook, as the team has announced that he’ll be out “at least” the first few playoff games. That news comes via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, who reports that Westbrook has a strained right quadriceps muscle.

A big concern with this type of injury is that if it doesn’t heal properly, it lingers. If the Rockets rush Westbrook back, or if he tries to play too soon, it could cause a further and bigger setback.

The good news is that the Rockets have ample depth at guard, so they should be able to fill his shoes in the meantime.

Rockets Run Deep at Guard Spots

While the Rockets are thin up front in terms of big men, they have tons of ballhandlers who can step in and fill Westbrook’s shoes. On the year the team is just 8-6 without Westbrook in the lineup, but they do have Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore who can soak up minutes – with Harden shifting to a primary point guard role.

Make no mistakes about it: Westbrook will be missed and these players are all a step down. However, we saw Rivers hit 41 points a few games ago and McLemore has averaged 13.2 points and 3.2 threes per game as a starter this season. They have bodies who can fill in.

Thunder Are a Tricky Matchup

It’s interesting that we’ll see the Rockets take on the Thunder after the two sides engaged in a big trade in the offseason. Chris Paul was sent to the Thunder with a package that returned Westbrook to the Rockets.

Many assumed the Thunder would be one of the worst teams in the NBA as a result – but they have the same record as Houston.

These teams have met three times in the regular season and the Thunder have actually won two of the three contests. They seem to know how to play them well, so this will be a very tricky series for Houston. Westbrook aside, the Rockets have to find a way to rebound better, which is something I’m not sure they can do.

In the three meetings this season, the Thunder were +29 in terms of rebounding. Houston is even smaller these days, so this is one area where the Thunder will have a big edge.

What’s the Best Bet?

The Rockets 2020 NBA championship odds show that Houston is at +1100, which put them fifth in line to win the title. However, I don’t want anything to do with these odds. Not only is this Houston team one of the worst in the NBA defensively and in terms of rebounding, they haven’t looked great in the bubble.

They’re riding back-to-back losses to Indiana and San Antonio. They are just 4-3 since their return with two of the wins coming against a LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers side and the struggling Sacramento Kings.

While they have big brand names in the lineup with Harden and Westbrook – whenever he does get back – I don’t see this team as having the makeup of a championship roster. They’ll have a really hard time just getting out of the west.