Will the LA curse continue for the guests?
Showdown in the West! With the regular season coming to an end, the LA Lakers and Houston Rockets, two direct competitors for the highest possible placement with the correspondingly better home field advantage in the following playoffs, face each other, and the betting base sends a tip for the blockbuster to the court in Los Angeles.
The home side are fourth in the Western Conference table and the visitors are second. At least the Texans have almost secured a place in the postseason, but they will still be highly motivated to defend second place.
After all, the ranking would always mean an additional home game in the event of a possible seven-game series in the West until the finals. For the game between the LA Lakers and Houston Rockets, however, the tip is for the hosts to win by at least five points, as they will be fresher, while the guests will have to play a back-to-back.
LA Lakers – Statistics & current form
The franchise from the West Coast has made headlines all season. The reason for this was the blockbuster deal at the beginning of this year, in which none other than Luka Doncic was shipped to the West Coast.
The Slovenian has quickly settled in with his new team, although his scoring average of 27.5 points per game is still slightly below his previous output in Dallas (28.7). However, he has improved more and more recently, scoring at least 29 points in five of the past six games.
Another 29+ points by Doncic?
Against this background, the odds for Doncic to score at least 29 points again in the duel between the LA Lakers and Houston Rockets are also recommended, and you can find them at NEO.bet. You can also use the bookmaker’s sports betting app, which allows mobile betting!
The hosts can also count on home advantage against the Rockets: Although the last two home games against the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks were lost, the team of Coach JJ Reddick is still in second place in the home standings of the Western Conference, behind OKC.
Houston Rockets – Statistics & current form
The Rockets, like their opponents, also have their origins in California, as they were formerly based in San Diego, but the franchise has been based in Houston since 1971. The Texans have won two championships since the move and this season, for the first time in a while, they have put together a squad that can at least be considered a contender.
A particularly important player in the squad of Head Coach Ime Udoka is Alperen Sengün. The 22-year-old was nominated as an All-Star for the first time this season and, as a center, he is unquestionably one of the best players in the NBA.
This is easily seen from the fact that he has a seasonal double-double in points and rebounds. In the last game against the Lakers last January, however, the big man, who was born in Giresun on the Black Sea, remained comparatively pale with 14 points and six rebounds.
Rockets like to travel
The netball hunters from the “Lone Star State” can at least somewhat counter the aforementioned home strength of the Lakers. Only OKC ranks ahead of the men from the Toyota Center in the Western Conference’s away standings, and the past five away games have all ended in victories for the Texans.
Their defense has been very strong in this respect, with only Utah scoring more than 109 points in this period. In view of this and the fact that their own offensive strength has now been reduced by the back-to-back, the odds of less than 225.5 points are equally appealing for the game between the LA Lakers and the Houston Rockets.
LA Lakers – Houston Rockets Direct comparison / H2H record
The Lakers have not beaten the Rockets in their last two games. However, the two defeats were both away from home, while LA has not lost to the Texans at home in eight meetings! The odds for the upcoming encounter between the LA Lakers and Houston Rockets also point to another home win for the Rockets.
LA Lakers – Houston Rockets Tip
In the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets, the tip includes a home win by at least five points. The home star guard Luka Doncic is currently in particularly good form at LA and with LeBron James, the leader is back after recovering from injury.
In addition, the timing of the encounter plays into the hands of the home side. The guests had to play in Phoenix last night, which is why they will now be more tired than Los Angeles. Furthermore, the statistics speak for the LA Lakers against Houston Rockets prediction: The Texans have now lost eight games in a row in Los Angeles and their last away triumph dates back more than four years.
On top of that, it was only achieved during the coronavirus pandemic, when spectators were not allowed. A glance at the Rockets’ lineup at the time shows how long ago that victory was, with NBA stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook, among others, still on the team!