Rockets vs Warriors Game 3 Predictions: NBA Playoffs Picks For April 26, 2025

2025 NBA Playoffs Picks For April 26, 2025

WagerTalk provides its Rockets vs Warriors Game 3 predictions for Saturday, April 26 before tip off! Which team will come out on top heading into Game 4? Read below! WagerTalk offers the best NBA picks today every single day!

Rockets vs Warriors Game 3 Game Details

Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
Time: 8:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT
Broadcast: ABC
Location: Chase Center in San Francisco, CA
Spread: Warriors -2.5 | Total: 200.5

Golden State Warriors Injury Concerns

While Steph Curry continues to grab the headlines in the Bay Area, seasoned Warriors fans understand that No. 30 has rarely been asked to carry the full burden alone.

Throughout Curry’s illustrious career, he has almost always been supported by a reliable cast of teammates, and that framework is once again under the microscope as Golden State battles the Houston Rockets in their current playoff series.

The strength and resilience of the supporting cast will be put to a serious test moving forward. The Warriors were already facing significant challenges, but those were compounded in Game 3 preparations with the status of Jimmy Butler.

After logging only eight minutes in Wednesday’s 109-94 loss, Butler is now considered doubtful for Game 3 due to a pelvis injury.

Butler’s night ended abruptly after he collided with an opposing player and fell to the floor. Following a brief evaluation in the locker room, he did not return to the court for the remainder of Game 2.

His unexpected exit became the defining storyline of the night and has cast a shadow over Golden State’s hopes of regaining control in the series.

Yet Butler’s injury wasn’t the only concern to emerge for the Warriors. Houston may have unintentionally exposed a strategic mismatch by targeting Warriors’ guard Brandin Podziemski.

The second-year guard out of Santa Clara has played a crucial role as the connective tissue between Golden State’s starting lineup and its second unit.

However, battling a stomach flu in Game 2, Podziemski delivered a rare non-performance: he finished with no points, no rebounds, no assists, and no steals over 14 minutes of action.

His visibly diminished energy and effectiveness played a pivotal role in the Warriors’ unraveling, serving as a major reason behind their Game 2 collapse.

How Warriors Injury Concerns Play Into Game 3

Since acquiring Jimmy Butler in early November, Golden State had compiled an impressive 25-7 straight-up record with him active in the lineup, a testament to how vital he has been to their success.

But with Butler sidelined and Podziemski compromised, Golden State’s once-sturdy foundation showed serious cracks.

Although reports suggest that Podziemski is feeling significantly better and should return to his normal workload for Game 3 on Saturday, Houston may have already stumbled onto a critical formula: disrupt Podziemski’s role in facilitating the second unit, and the Warriors’ depth quickly becomes vulnerable.

This vulnerability was on full display through the early stages of the series. In Game 1, Houston’s bench outscored Golden State’s reserves 23-14. With Podziemski limited in Game 2, the secondary unit struggled even more.

Jonathan Kuminga and Gary Payton II combined to shoot just 4-for-15 from the field, while Buddy Hield, despite his offensive prowess, ended the night with a -7 plus/minus rating across 16 minutes of action. The struggles from the bench only amplified the mounting pressure on the starters.

Rockets vs Warriors Rebounding Edge

Another crucial area where the Warriors are failing to meet expectations is rebounding — an aspect many believed Golden State could use to neutralize Houston’s usual advantage.

So far, however, that has not materialized. In Game 1, the Rockets dominated the boards with a 52-36 edge, including a massive 22-6 advantage on the offensive glass.

Game 2 wasn’t much different, with Houston again outrebounding the Warriors 47-33 and maintaining a steady 11-7 advantage in offensive rebounds.

The fact that rebounding was supposed to be a point of strength for Golden State — yet has instead become a liability — raises serious questions heading into the next chapter of this series.

Rockets vs Warriors Game 3 Prediction

As the Warriors attempt to adjust and rally, all eyes remain on Butler’s health, Podziemski’s recovery, and whether Golden State can find solutions for its bench and rebounding woes before it’s too late.

Rockets vs Warriors Game 3 Prediction: Rockets +2.5

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