Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, born in Toronto, takes a thinned-out Thunder team to Houston to face Kevin Durant. Oklahoma City is 4-1 without four of its rotation: Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace are all out. Houston is 5-1 and has its own worry in Alperen Sengun’s back.
Both clubs lost in Dallas this week. The Thunder went down by 24 on Wednesday and the Rockets by five on Friday. Houston plays this Thunder vs Rockets game on the second night of a back-to-back.
How to watch Thunder vs Rockets in Canada
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Game | Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets |
| Date | Saturday 31 October 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8:30pm ET / 7:30pm CT |
| Venue | Toyota Center (Houston) |
| Records | Oklahoma City 4-1, Houston 5-1 |
| Rest | Oklahoma City with 2 days off, Houston on the second night of a back-to-back |
Canadian viewers can find it on TSN, TSN+ and NBA TV Canada. Listings move around during the season, so our how to watch the NBA in Canada page is worth a check.
Thunder vs Rockets odds
This game hadn’t been priced by a Canadian book at the time of writing. A US number may not match what you’ll see here, so we’ve left the odds out. See our NBA betting in Canada page for the licensed options by province.
Oklahoma City’s bench has become its starting five
Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain moved into the starting lineup on Monday, and Mitchell has scored 30 and 29 since. Gilgeous-Alexander had 21 in Dallas and averages 26.0 for the season. Isaiah Hartenstein has pulled down 12, 13 and 14 rebounds in his last three games.
The injury list grew again on Friday. Holmgren had a procedure on his right knee for a small patellar tendon tear, and Nick Crain of Slam reported he will miss at least eight to ten weeks. Wallace had shoulder surgery the same day. Williams had surgery on a fractured fibula on Wednesday, and Caruso has a sprained ankle.
Only two of the five who started on opening night in San Antonio are available: Gilgeous-Alexander and Hartenstein.
How they compare
| 2025-26 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Houston Rockets |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 64-18 | 52-30 |
| Net rating | +11.0 | +5.2 |
| Offensive rating | 117.0 | 115.9 |
| Defensive rating | 106.0 | 110.7 |
| Pace | 101.8 | 99.4 |
| Three-point % | 36.5% | 36.4% |
Rates from last season, when Oklahoma City won 64 games. The gap was 5.8 points per 100 possessions.
Houston has coped without Sengun so far
The Rockets won 132-100 in Milwaukee on Wednesday with Sengun out, then lost 116-111 in Dallas without him and Reed Sheppard, whose back is also sore. Both are listed day to day, and Houston had not filed its report at 8 a.m. ET.
Durant had 28 in that defeat and averages 23.3. Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. are both above 17 a game, and Fred VanVleet scored 24 against the Bucks.
Sengun was averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists before his back flared. Steven Adams is out with a calf strain, and Ime Udoka said on Monday he could miss “a week or two”. Marcus Smart played 17 minutes on Friday after three straight DNPs.
Oklahoma City won two of three last season
| Date | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb 2026 | Houston 112-106 | Paycom Center |
| 15 Jan 2026 | Oklahoma City 111-91 | Toyota Center (Houston) |
| 21 Oct 2025 | Oklahoma City 125-124 (2OT) | Paycom Center |
The Thunder won the opener in double overtime, 125-124, and by 20 in Houston in January. The Rockets took the February game in Oklahoma City, 112-106.
Recent form
Team news
| Club | Player | Status | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City | Alex Caruso | Out, ankle | No timetable |
| Oklahoma City | Cason Wallace | Out, shoulder | No timetable |
| Oklahoma City | Chet Holmgren | Out, knee | No timetable |
| Oklahoma City | Jalen Williams | Out, leg | No timetable |
| Oklahoma City | Nikola Topic | Out, back | Week to week |
| Oklahoma City | Thomas Sorber | Out, knee | Week to week |
| Houston | Steven Adams | Out, calf | Week to week |
| Houston | Alperen Sengun | Day to day, back | See the official report before tip-off |
| Houston | Reed Sheppard | Day to day, back | See the official report before tip-off |
Sengun and Sheppard are the open questions, and Houston’s report was not in when we checked. Oklahoma City’s six absentees are all confirmed on the official NBA injury report.
For the other 28 clubs, our NBA injury report has the full list.
Probable starting fives
Players to watch
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City. The Toronto-born guard had 34 against the Clippers last Sunday and 21 in 28 minutes in Dallas. Hartenstein is the only other opening-night starter still standing.
Amen Thompson, Houston. Thirty-nine minutes in Dallas on Friday, with 15 points and six assists. With Sengun uncertain, more of the playmaking falls to him and VanVleet.
Score prediction
Rockets 114-108 Thunder. Last season’s ratings make Oklahoma City about a three-point favourite in Houston. Those ratings had Williams, Holmgren, Caruso and Wallace on the floor. This season’s form says Houston, even on a back-to-back.
Thunder vs Rockets prediction
Oklahoma City has kept winning with half a rotation, but Dallas showed what happens when the shots stop falling. Houston won by 32 in Milwaukee with Sengun out, so the pick doesn’t depend on him playing.
Our pick: Houston to win, the Rockets at -3.5 or shorter. If Sengun is ruled out and the line shortens, the Rockets still appeal. No total.
Our player prop is Ajay Mitchell over 18.5 points. He scored 30 against Phoenix and 29 in Dallas in his two starts, after 4, 12 and 18 off the bench. With Williams, Caruso and Wallace all out, the minutes are his. Covers’ NBA prop board showed 18.5 at 8:03 a.m. ET.
Both clubs are placed in this week’s NBA power rankings. The NBA games tonight board lists the rest of Saturday’s games.
Tip-off is 8:30pm ET / 7:30pm CT on Saturday 31 October 2026 at Toyota Center (Houston).
TSN, TSN+ and NBA TV Canada all carry it, so this is the easiest of Saturday’s games to find in Canada.
No. He had a knee procedure on Friday and, per Slam’s Nick Crain, is expected to miss at least eight to ten weeks.
He is day to day with a back injury and missed Friday’s game in Dallas. Houston had not filed its official report at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday.
Rockets 114-108. We back Houston to win, at -3.5 or shorter.
19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC). Picks are opinion, not advice, and odds change constantly. Availability varies by province. Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 for Ontario residents; see your province’s helpline for resources elsewhere.