In the next three days, the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets will meet each other twice at Toyota Center in Houston, so here’s the best betting pick for Sunday’s contest along with the latest odds update on BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Lakers could miss Anthony Davis (middle body) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (ankle), as both guys are listed as questionable to play. The Rockets are without Danuel House (back), while Ben McLemore is questionable due to an ankle injury.
Los Angeles opens a three-game road trip
The Los Angeles Lakers (7-3; 4-6 ATS) just wrapped up a two-game homestand with a narrow 117-115 victory to the shorthanded Chicago Bulls, bouncing back from a surprising 118-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Anthony Davis didn’t play against the Bulls, so LeBron James stepped up and dropped 28 points on Chicago to go with seven boards and seven assists. The Lakers played poor defense, allowing the Bulls to make 50.5% of their field goals, but they kept their head cool down the stretch to escape with a win.
The Lakers are undefeated in four outings on the road this season, covering twice in the process. They are fifth in the league in points scored per 100 possessions (113.8) and second in field goal percentage (49.1%), while the Lakers surrender 106.5 points per 100 possessions to their opponents (7th in the NBA).
Houston routed Orlando to stop a two-game skid
After a pair of road losses at Dallas 113-100 and Indiana 114-107, the Houston Rockets (3-4; 3-4 ATS) dismantled the Orlando Magic 132-90 as 7-point home favorites this past Friday. It was their third win in four outings on the home court this term while going 2-2 against the spread.
Christian Wood dominated the Magic and went off for 22 points and 15 rebounds in just 27 minutes on the floor. James Harden had a double-double, too, accounting for 15 points and 13 assists, while John Wall added 14 points and four dimes.
The Rockets score 112.6 points per 100 possessions (10th) while making 48.4% of their field goals (6th) and 35.1% of their 3-pointers (23rd). After leading the NBA in 3-point attempts per game for four straight years, the Rockets take the eighth-most 3-pointers a night this season (38.3). They allow 110.0 points per 100 possessions (17th) on 45.4% shooting from the field (13th).
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”nba/rockets” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
LA Lakers:
- 4-1 ATS in the last five games against Houston
- 7-3 ATS in the last ten games against Southwest Division
Houston:
- 1-4 ATS in the last five home contests against the Lakers
- 3-8 ATS in the last 11 games overall
The Winner Prediction
The Rockets are still trying to pick up the pieces with a few new faces in their rotation. Also, they’ve had problems with the COVID-19, so the Rockets are still far away from their top form. The Lakers have had some ups and downs, but they look like a more consistent rival in this matchup.
Therefore, I have to take the Lakers to win and cover, but you can also opt with the moneyline odds. It’s still early in the season, and we’ve already seen a ton of surprising results, so the Rockets certainly stand a chance against the reigning champions.
Anthony Davis is questionable after missing the clash against Chicago. It was the second night of a back-to-back set, so I expect to see Davis on the floor at Toyota Center.
Pick: Take LA Lakers -1.5 at -110
The Total:
It seems like this Houston team won’t rush things a lot. The Rockets play at a steady pace of 100.0 possessions (23rd in the league), while the Lakers tally 100.1 (tied-20th), so I’m backing the under on the totals despite all the top-notch offensive weapons on both sides.
Six of the Lakers’ last eight games went in the under, and Los Angeles limited its opponents below 110 points five times in that span. The under is 3-0-1 in Houston’s last four showings, and it is 6-1 in the previous seven meetings between the Rockets and Lakers.
Pick: Go under 227.5 points at -110