The Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets will face off against each other for the second time in three days, so I bring you the best betting pick and tips for their Tuesday’s clash at Toyota Center in Houston along with the latest odds on Sugarhouse Sportsbook.
The Lakers easily outlasted the Rockets as 4-point road favorites this past Sunday, 120-102. They’ve won five straight games against Houston while covering on all five occasions.
Los Angeles aims for its sixth straight road win of the season
The Los Angeles Lakers (8-3; 5-6 ATS) are still undefeated on the road this term, winning all their five contests while covering three times in the process. They dominated Sunday’s game in Houston, leading by as many as 27 points and giving no chance to their rivals.
The Lakers shot 50.5% from the field and handed out 28 assists while scoring a whopping 62 points in the paint. Anthony Davis had 27 points and a plus-29 net rating; LeBron James posted 18 points, seven boards, and seven assists, while Montrezl Harrell, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Kyle Kuma combined for 46 points off the bench.
Los Angeles scores 113.8 points per 100 possessions (4th in the NBA) on 49.3% shooting from the field (tied-2nd). The Lakers surprisingly shoot well from beyond the arc and rank sixth in the league (38.5%), while their defensive rating is the third-best in the NBA, as LA surrenders just 105.6 points per 100 possessions.
Houston hopes to snap a skid against the Lakers
The Houston Rockets (3-5; 3-5 ATS) didn’t really stand a chance against the Lakers on Sunday, suffering their third defeat in the last four games overall. During that stretch, the Rockets routed Orlando 132-90 but lost to Dallas 113-100 and at Indiana 114-107.
Houston couldn’t cope with the Lakers’ inside game while struggling on the offensive end as well. The Rockets shot just 41.1% from the field and 29.3% from beyond the arc, committing 21 turnovers and posting just 22 assists. Furthermore, the Rockets allowed a whopping 32 fast break points.
James Harden (26.0 PPG, 11.0 APG) and Christian Wood (23.3 PPG, 9.7 RPG) lead the way for the Rockets this season. John Wall averaged 20.0 points and 5.2 assists through his first six appearances, but he’s listed as questionable to play Tuesday due to a migraine.
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”nba/rockets” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
LA Lakers:
- 2-4 ATS in the last six games overall
Houston:
- 9-2 ATS in the last 11 outings as underdogs of six or more points
The Winner Prediction
The Rockets are scoring 110.5 points per 100 possessions (14th) while yielding the same amount in a return (18th). If they want to stay close in this one, the Rockets will have to play much better defense, especially in transition, while they also need to make some shots from deep.
Although they are 0-5 SU and ATS in their last five encounters with the Lakers, I’m backing the Rockets to cover here. They should have learned a few lessons from the previous loss. With an improved offensive game plan and a better defensive effort, the Rockets can keep it close on the home court.
Pick: Take Houston +6.5 at -110
The Total:
The under has hit in all the Lakers’ five outings on the road this season. Also, the under is 4-0-1 in the Rockets’ previous five games overall, and it is 7-1 in the last eight encounters between LA and Houston.
Just one of the previous seven H2H duels between these two foes produced more than 223 points in total. The Rockets have to work hard on the defensive end in order to win Tuesday’s game, so I’m following the betting trends when it comes to the totals.
Pick: Go under 223.5 points at -110