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Houston Rockets Odds to Win the 2008 NBA Finals

The Houston Rockets are without star center Yao Ming, but he wasn't on the floor when the Rockets did the bulk of their damage this season – a 22-game win streak from January 29th through March 16th. Could it be that the Rockets are actually better off without Ming in the lineup? Jimmy Boyd gives you the inside scoop on the 2008 Houston Rockets odds to win the NBA Finals right here.



Bet the Houston Rockets at 25-1 odds to win the NBA Finals at BodogLife.com

Why they'll win it all:

Unlike Rockets teams in the last few seasons, new head coach Rick Adelman has come in and has been able to get this team to play with a great deal of toughness and discipline. If you haven't turned on a television set this NBA season or did a little research on the computer until now, you would be surprised to know that the Rockets actually led the West at one point and when they did, Yao Ming wasn't even playing. The Rockets defended their way to the second longest winning streak in NBA history this season. They hold opponents to just 92.1 points per game, which is good for fourth best in the league. They have the second best field goal percentage defense in the NBA, holding opponents to 43.3 percent shooting. And they are an all around good rebounding team, ranking sixth in defensive rebounding and eighth in offensive rebounding. Defensive specialist Shane Battier has been a big reason for Houston's success as he always defends the best perimeter scorer on the opposition and almost always wins the battle. Luis Scola has picked up the slack in the scoring department to atone for the loss of Ming and Dikembe Mutombo has proven that he is still among the best interior defenders in the game, even at 41 years of age. And Tracy McGrady has been the star that he gets paid to be. His passing ability is such as underrated part of his game. He and Lebron James are the best wing players in the NBA at finding open shooters when their lane to the basket is closed off.

Why they won't:

While the Rockets have been very successful this season without Yao Ming in the lineup for much of it, I don't think the Rockets will have enough fire power offensively to win without him. The 22 points per game that Yao averaged this season is not always being supplanted by the rest of the squad. While Mutombo has been solid, he is no Yao Ming. I know the Rockets were able to win a lot of games without him, but they just played harder because they knew they had to without their best player in the lineup. Without Ming to match up with Duncan from San Antonio or Gasol from the Lakers, the Rockets are going to run into some problems. Houston depends on Yao to take the ball to the basket to put pressure on opposing centers and to get them into foul trouble. Scola is more of an energy guy and garbage player and obviously lacks Ming's size. And don't forget that Tracy McGrady has never gotten a team out of the first round of the playoffs. That's a pretty big monkey to have on his back.

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