The Lakers lost their first game after learning of the passing of Kobe Bryant, as the Portland Trail Blazers took advantage of a Lakers team that was still in shock. Their matchup with the Clippers was postponed, and then the Lakers won two in a row. They still lead the West with a 38-11 record, winning 17 of 23 at the Staples Center.
They prepare to welcome the Houston Rockets on Thursday night, a team with a 32-18 record, 6 ½ games back of Los Angeles in the conference, currently in fourth place. The Rockets have a terrific offense, especially when James Harden’s shooting touch is rolling, but their issues tend to come inside and on defense.
The Lakers are still working on the best ways to meld the talents of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but so far things have worked out well in Hollywood. Can the Rockets pull off the road upset? Or will the Lakers make it three in a row? Check out our sports betting preview of this Western Conference showdown.
Rockets vs Lakers 2020 NBA Odds & Game Prediction
: The Rockets have acquired forwards Robert Covington & Jordan Bell from Minnesota as part of a four-team trade also involving Atlanta & Denver. Houston will also receive Golden State’s 2024 second round pick from the Hawks. Details: https://t.co/HeTesAj8ou pic.twitter.com/fVgYB4psTg
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 6, 2020
- When: Thursday, February 6, 2020, 10:30 pm ET
- Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles
- TV: TNT
- Radio: KBME 610 AM Houston / 710 AM ESPNLA Los Angeles
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- NBA Odds: Lakers -8.5
Why should you bet on Houston?
Houston has won three games in a row, with home victories over the Mavericks, Pelicans and Hornets. James Harden has found his shooting touch once again, so even though the Rockets have had to play without starters Clint Capela and Russell Westbrook, Harden has been able to shoulder the offensive load and help the team prevail, night after night.
We saw this once again in the Rockets’ victory over Charlotte on Tuesday night. The team rolled to a 125-110 victory behind 40 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds from Harden. That gives him three consecutive games with at least 35 points each night, as he has clearly broken out of a slump that had lasted four games. Clint Capela has missed several games due to injury, and Westbrook joined him on the bench Tuesday, but Harden was able to push the Rockets to another win. Charlotte posed a challenge, taking a lead into the fourth quarter, but then the Rockets launched a 15-2 run to take a lead that they would not surrender. Even with all that offense against one of the league’s less skilled teams, the Rockets will have to find other sources of offense — and shore up their defense — heading to Los Angeles.
Why should you put your money on the Lakers?
The Lakers followed up that setback against the Trail Blazers by beating Sacramento on the road by 16 points and then beat San Antonio at home on Tuesday by 27 points. In that home win, LeBron James nailed five three-pointers in a three-minute stretch of the fourth quarter, when he had 19 of his 36 points. James also dealt out nine assists and pulled down seven rebounds. Kyle Kuzma and Anthony Davis added 18 points apiece.
The rebounding battle was a statistic that the Rockets will also keep in mind. For the game, the Lakers had 58 boards while the Spurs had just 28, and San Antonio only grabbed three rebounds in the fourth period, as the Lakers went 16 for 24 from the field. If Los Angeles can stay on this kind of roll at home, they will be hard to catch atop the West, and teams with defensive problems like Houston will have a difficult time snagging wins.
Final Score Prediction
The Lakers and Rockets should put on a real show in terms of offense; it would not surprise me to see both teams over 120 points. However, I see the Lakers getting the key stops in the fourth and pulling away for a 131-126 win.
