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Is Alperen Sengun Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Warriors vs. Rockets)

The latest injury update for Houston Rockets All-Star Alperen Sengun on Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun is one of several players on the injury report ahead of Thursday night's showdown with the Golden State Warriors.

Sengun is listed as questionable with an illness, joining Amen Thompson (questionable, ankle) and Jabari Smith Jr. (questionable, ankle) as key rotation players that could miss this game.

Even though the Rockets have a bunch of players on the injury report, DraftKings Sportsbook still has them favored by 9.5 points in this matchup since the Warriors are without star guard Steph Curry (knee).

Sengun has put together a strong 2025-26 season, averaging 20.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, earning the second All-Star nod of his career. The Rockets are already short-handed at center with Steven Adams out for the season, so Sengun sitting on Thursday would be a pretty big blow to the team's rotation.

This season, the All-Star has missed seven games and the Rockets are 4-3 in those matchups.

With Sengun's status in question on Thursday night, there is another Rockets player that I'm eyeing in the prop market against Golden State.

Best Rockets Prop Bet vs. Warriors

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Reed Sheppard OVER 14.5 Points (-109)

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard has recently entered the team’s starting lineup – he’s started three of the last four games – and it’s opened things up for the Rockets spacing-wise. 

Sheppard is arguably the best shooter on the Houston roster after Kevin Durant, and the second-year guard has come on strong as of late, scoring 15 or more points in seven of his last 10 games.

During that 10-game stretch, Sheppard is averaging 16.8 points per game while shooting 48.0 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from 3-point range. He’s taking 12.5 shots per game during that stretch with over eight of them coming from beyond the arc. 

Now, Sheppard takes on a Golden State team that is allowing 26.46 points per game to opposing point guards – the fourth-most in the NBA. In his first meeting with the Warriors, Sheppard shot 12-of-25 from the field and finished with 31 points.

If Sengun, Thompson or Smith sit in this game, Sheppard could see an even bigger role than usual on offense, making him an intriguing prop target in this matchup.


Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Peter Dewey
PETER DEWEY

Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.

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