Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets Prediction, NBA Odds

Jordan Ramsay | Updated Mar 09, 2022

After a one-game absence, LeBron James is expected to return to the Lakers lineup on Wednesday night when L.A. travels to Houston to face the Rockets.

L.A. Lakers
33-49
AT
March 09, 2022, 8:00 PM ET
Toyota Center
Houston
20-62
Pointspread -7.5 -118
Moneyline -317
Over / Under o +236.5

70%

Betting Action

30%

Pointspread +7.5 -102
Moneyline +261
Over / Under u +236.5

70%

Betting Action

30%

The L.A. Lakers will look to get back on track Wednesday night when they visit a Houston Rockets team that sits firmly at the bottom of the NBA standings.  Both teams are coming off losses on Monday.  The Lakers fell 117-110 in San Antonio, while the Rockets were blown out 123-106 in Miami.

L.A. is a 5-point favourite to win on the NBA odds, with a total of 233.5.

Lakers vs. Rockets NBA Betting Odds

This will be the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season.  The Lakers have dominated this head-to-head, winning the last 10 meetings dating back to the 2020 NBA playoffs.  Roughly 86 per cent of Sports Interaction bettors are backing L.A. in this game, while 67 per cent of the betting action is taking the Under.  Two of three games this season have gone Over.

The Lakers will be aiming to break an ugly road losing streak that has seen them drop their last eight games outside of Los Angeles.  They’re 27-37 against the spread overall and have failed to cover in five of their last six games.  The total has gone Under in five of L.A.’s last seven games.

The Rockets are once again one of the worst teams in the NBA, managing just one win in their last 14 games.  Home cooking hasn’t been any better for Houston as they’ve lost 16 of their last 18 games in Texas.  They’re 26-38-1 ATS this season, including 11-19 ATS at home.  The total has gone Under in five of Houston’s last seven games.

Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James‘ season-high 56-point performance in L.A.’s win over Golden State on Saturday clearly came at a cost as he was a late scratch in San Antonio because of knee soreness.  The Lakers are already missing Anthony Davis, who has been out of the lineup since Feb. 16 with a mid-foot sprain and has no timetable to return.  The good news is James, who sits tied for second in NBA scoring with 29.4 points per game, is expected to play on Wednesday.

Russell Westbrook will also been in the starting rotation on Wednesday, though L.A. fans are much less confident in what type of impact he can have on the team.  Westbrook was traded to the Lakers in a major off-season move that could go down as the worst trade in Lakers history.  The former league MVP hasn’t been a fit with James and is struggling heavily.  Westbrook is averaging 18.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game, while shooting 43.3 per cent from the field and an ugly 28.2 per cent from 3-point range.

Houston Rockets

It was another dud performance for Houston against Miami on Monday as they picked up their 13th loss over their last 14 games.  The Rockets have just 16 total wins this season, tied with Orlando for the fewest in the NBA.  Kevin Porter Jr. finished with a team-high 22 points on Monday, while rookie Jalen Green added 20.  Green, last year’s second overall draft pick, is averaging 15.4 ppg, third-most among all rookies.

Christian Wood is averaging a team-high 17.9 ppg, but missed Monday’s game with a non-COVID illness and is listed as questionable on Wednesday.  Dennis Schroder (ankle), Jae’Sean Tate (ankle), Garrison Mathews (ankle) are also listed as questionable.

NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Lakers vs. Rockets?

NBA Predictions
SportsInteraction