Free NBA Pick: Lakers vs. Rockets NBA Odds
Looking for Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets free NBA picks & NBA odds? NBA betting sees the Lakers taking on the Rockets on Tuesday, December 28th, 2021 at the Toyota Center. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions like this Lakers Rockets matchup.
2021 NBA Handicapping
(16-18) Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets (10-24)
Date: Tuesday, December 28th
Time: 8:00 PM EST
Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
NBA Moneyline Odds: Lakers -177 | Rockets +166 (Bet Now!)
NBA Betting Odds: Lakers -4.5
NBA Betting Total: 228.5
Tuesday, December 28th finds the Los Angeles Lakers facing the Houston Rockets in their third meeting of the season. LA won 95-85 on October 31st and 119-117 on November 2nd. The final match will take place in Houston on March 9th.
The Lakers played Christmas Day in a losing 115-122 effort versus the Nets while the Rockets are playing a back-to-back set losing 99-123 to the Hornets on the front side Monday.
Last season, the squads played three times with the Lakers sweeping the regular-season series and holding a current five-game win streak versus Houston. The Lakers hold the all-time record having bested the Rockets in 143 of their 228 matches.
Los Angeles Lakers
While the Lakers are trying to get back to .500 they do so with five players in various stages of the health and safety protocols but with the shift to a shorter quarantine period of five days for asymptomatic players it could help a team like LA.
LeBron James is doing his best to lead the Lakers, but without Anthony Davis, he’s searching for consistent support. Versus Brooklyn, LA trailed by 17 points so James spent a good portion of the match playing center.
It got them back in the match but was unsustainable despite James’ 39 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Russell Westbrook registered a triple-double (13 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists) but shot a cold 4 of 20 and pressed too hard particularly in clutch time.
Most notably his missed dunk at :26 remaining but as much as that cemented the loss Russ was the only player besides James to impact all three key statistical areas. The loss was the fifth in a row by the Lakers.
Of the five Lakers in protocols Avery Bradley is upgraded to probable, Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, and Austin Reaves downgraded to out while Rajon Rondo is out indefinitely.
Houston Rockets
Surprising how quickly the tide can turn. Houston began the season 1-16, prior to a seven-game winning streak.
Coincidentally, eight of the Rockets’ 10 wins came without rookie Jalen Green on the court. This points to the quandary the Rockets are in – – develop their youth and tank or play a more competitive lineup and chance gaining a play-in seed.
In their last seven losses, the Rockets have allowed opponents to score 121.8 points per game versus the win streak when they held foes to 111.8 points.
With the recent regression, Houston plummeted to the bottom of the West holding a coveted bottom three seed (best shot at top draft pick).
D.J. Augustin (quad), Garrison Matthews (quarantine), and John Wall (mutually agreed to absence) are all out.
NBA Betting Trends:
- The Lakers are 9-1 in the last 10 head to head
- The Lakers are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 meetings.
- Over Under is 3-7 in the teams last 10 head to head matchups
Free Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets NBA Prediction:
For the Lakers to avoid sliding deeper into the recesses of the West it’s essential they take advantage of their next 12-game segment when they face eight clubs with sub .500 records (100-165) plus the .500 Nuggets.
After that point, LA’s itinerary will get progressively more difficult with copious road dates. It’s not inconceivable the Lakers could make the right tweaks but time is of the essence if they want to ensure a seed above the play-in tournament berths.
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: Lakers -4.5
If the Lakers can’t beat a team trying to lose there are bigger issues than a few lineup tweaks can fix.
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