The Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers rivalry is one that has seen a number of postseason matchups take place, as some of the legends of basketball history have played in these games. Today, things are a little more lopsided, as the Rockets are going through a rebuilding period. But both the Lakers and Rockets will be looking to claim a win from the tip off of this matchup on Halloween night to the final buzzer of the contest.
Tonight, the Lakers will be looking to build on a run of form that has seen them win more often than they have lost after a rough start to the season. Houston, meanwhile, is simply looking to continue building positive momentum that their young players can use as the season goes on. And while the Lakers are heavy favorites going into the game, the Rockets will look to prove that they cannot be ruled out here.
Houston Rockets – Hoping To Compete
It has been a difficult start to the season for the Houston Rockets, as they have won just one of their first five games to kick off the 2021-2022 campaign. That one win came against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who could turn out to be the worst team in the NBA by the end of the season. Against all opponents who are not the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Rockets have lost all four of their games by double figures.
Houston has played two road games this season, dropping both of those contests by 10 points or more. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks by 10 points in their most recent road contest, and by 18 points to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener on the road. Against a hungry team like the Lakers, the Rockets will need to execute early to avoid things getting away from them to a point that they can’t recover from.
Expected Line-Up: Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Jae’Sean Tate, Daniel Theis, Christian Wood
with best odds
Los Angeles Lakers – Developing Consistency
The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t started as well as they’d have liked during this NBA season, but they are starting to trend in the right direction finally. Los Angeles lost their first two games of the season against the Warriors and Suns, but have since won three of their last four games to get to 3-3 on the year. Ahead of this game, the Lakers are anticipated to enjoy a favorable matchup against a Houston team that has a lot of flaws.
The biggest edge for the Lakers in this game is that they have the perfect player to deal with Rockets’ top gun Christian Wood. Anthony Davis has both the length and athleticism to cope with what Wood brings to the table, and he has the versatility to guard Wood both inside and on the perimeter. That, combined with the superior talent level players like Russell Westbrook and LeBron James have over the Rockets’ lineup could set the Lakers apart in a big way.
Expected Line-Up: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Kent Bazemore, LeBron James, Anthony Davis
Expert Pick #1 – Lakers -11.5 @ -110
The first of three bets to place on the Lakers in this game is the bet on the Lakers to cover the spread as 11.5-point favorites at -110 odds. This is a good matchup for the Lakers from a personnel standpoint, which really sticks out even more than the wins and losses for each side coming into this contest. The Lakers should come out looking to prove something in this matchup, and should do just that as they blow the Rockets out for their most convincing win of the season.
Expert Pick #2 – Lakers 1Q -3.5 @ -110
The next bet for this game is to wager on the Lakers to win the first quarter by more than 3.5 points at -110 odds. First quarter bets require a strong start, and that is exactly what the Lakers should deliver here. Their starters should play for the majority of the first quarter, which is where the biggest mismatches for this game exist. LeBron and AD will lead the Lakers to the first quarter cover.
Expert Pick #3 – Lakers 1H -6.5 @ -120
The final bet for this game is to lay the 6.5 points on the Lakers for the first half at -120 odds. Houston may get off to an early run once the reserves come into the game in the second quarter. But the Lakers should dominate the periods of this game where the starters are on the floor. As a result, stacking the Lakers first half with our other bets seems like the right move here.
This game is one where the Lakers should be able to crush the Rockets and right the ship. Houston is one of the bottom-two teams in the NBA this season, and will need more time for their young talent to get used to the rigors of NBA competition. The veteran Lakers will take advantage of that to the tune of a big win.
