The Los Angeles Lakers have won 10 of their last 12 games to dig out of trouble and put their season fundamentally on the right course. They have a lot of work to do, but they are no longer underwater.

The Houston Rockets are underwater, still under .500 after 26 games played. If they don’t go on a winning binge soon (as the Lakers have done over their past 12 games), they will have very little chance of getting anything more than a low seed in the West playoffs, essentially ruining their chances of having home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Houston’s attempt to make another serious run at the NBA Finals is in severe jeopardy, not what this organization or a lot of experts predicted.

NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis

The Lakers, entering this game, are 17-10 straight up and 12-15 against the spread. They did not cover the spread in their most recent game at home against the Miami Heat on Monday night.

The Rockets are 12-14 straight up and 10-16 against the spread heading into this game. Their most recent contest was a 111-104 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night in which they covered the spread.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers were able to prevail with decent defence and an efficient, low-mistake offence against Miami. They limited Miami to 11 of 34 three-point shots, while the Lakers were 14 for 32. The Lakers give up 110.9 points per game, which is not good, but that average was close to 120 points in the early weeks of the season and has steadily been whittled down to a much more reasonable level. The Lakers don’t have to be spectacular on defence to win games; they just have to be solid, and in recent weeks, that is what they have generally been able to do. Giving up 105, as they did to the Heat, will get the job done for them on most nights.

LeBron James scored 28 points against the Heat and was helped the most by Kyle Kuzma, who scored 33 and hit 14 of 22 shots from the field. The Lakers committed only 12 turnovers and forced 17. They allowed Miami to hit only 45 percent of its field goal attempts.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets have gone through several three- or four-game losing streaks this season, but they put a three-game losing skid to bed on Tuesday with their win over Portland. The Rockets did not shoot well from three-point range, at 9 of 29, but they shot well from two-point range: 36 of 56, close to 65 percent. What was even better about Houston’s performance is that the Rockets committed only seven turnovers. They forced 14 from Portland. They played a clean game, different from many of their performances this season.

The Rockets limited the Blazers to 44 percent field goal shooting. The Rockets – who allow an average of 109.5 points per game – score just 108.4 points per game. Their defence is not great, but if you remember last season, Houston didn’t have to be great on defence to win, much like the current season’s Lakers as mentioned above. The 2017-2018 Rockets came within one win of the NBA Finals because their defence wasn’t terrible and their offence was ridiculously good. The mystery and problem with the Rockets this year is not their defence, which has been mediocre but not awful. The mystery is why their offence isn’t doing much better. Houston scored just 91 points in two of its past four games, both losses.

Injuries

L.A. Lakers

Lance Stephenson (SG)

Ques Tues Foot - 09 / 04 / 19

Rajon Rondo (PG)

Out Tues Rest - 08 / 04 / 19

Tyson Chandler (C)

Out Tues Rest - 08 / 04 / 19

Reggie Bullock (SG)

Ques Tues Neck - 04 / 04 / 19

Reggie Bullock (SG)

Prob Tues Foot - 01 / 04 / 19

Tyson Chandler (C)

Ques Tues Flu - 26 / 03 / 19

Reggie Bullock (SG)

Prob Sun Foot - 24 / 03 / 19

Mike Muscala (PF)

Prob Fri Ankle - 22 / 03 / 19

Josh Hart (SG)

out for season Knee - 21 / 03 / 19

Josh Hart (SG)

Prob Tues Knee - 18 / 03 / 19

Houston

Kenneth Faried (PF)

Ques Fri Personal - 08 / 05 / 19

Danuel House Jr. (SF)

Ques Fri Toe - 05 / 05 / 19

Austin Rivers (PG)

Prob Tues Illness - 28 / 04 / 19

Clint Capela (C)

Prob Wed Illness - 23 / 04 / 19

Clint Capela (C)

Prob Sun Illness - 12 / 04 / 19

Danuel House Jr. (SF)

Prob Sun Knee - 07 / 04 / 19

Iman Shumpert (SG)

Out Wed Rest - 03 / 04 / 19

Eric Gordon (SG)

Prob Thurs Ankle - 27 / 03 / 19

Kenneth Faried (PF)

Prob Tues Knee - 26 / 03 / 19

Eric Gordon (SG)

Prob Tues Ankle - 25 / 03 / 19

Injuries

L.A. Lakers

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Lance Stephenson (SG)	Ques Tues	Foot - 09 / 04 / 19	1-0	1-0	+ -
Stephenson is battling a sore left foot and it is unclear if he will play against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
Rajon Rondo (PG)	Out Tues	Rest - 08 / 04 / 19	2-0	2-0	+ -
Rondo will not participate in Tuesday's game against the Trail Blazers as he is to be rested.
Tyson Chandler (C)	Out Tues	Rest - 08 / 04 / 19	2-0	2-0	+ -
Chandler will not play against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday due to a day of rest.
Reggie Bullock (SG)	Ques Tues	Neck - 04 / 04 / 19	2-2	2-2	+ -
Bullock has missed the previous three games with neck stiffness and has an unclear status Tuesday against the Trail Blazers.
Reggie Bullock (SG)	Prob Tues	Foot - 01 / 04 / 19	3-2	3-2	+ -
Bullock is expected to suit up against the Thunder on Tuesday despite a plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
Tyson Chandler (C)	Ques Tues	Flu - 26 / 03 / 19	7-2	4-5	+ -
Chandler has been idle due to flu-like symptoms and it is unclear if he will return against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
Reggie Bullock (SG)	Prob Sun	Foot - 24 / 03 / 19	7-3	4-6	+ -
Bullock has been held out of the previous four games with plantar fasciitis in his right foot but is expected to be available for Sunday's game against the Pelicans.
Mike Muscala (PF)	Prob Fri	Ankle - 22 / 03 / 19	7-4	4-7	+ -
Muscala has missed the past four games due to tibialis posterior tendonitis in his right ankle but is likely to return Friday against the Hornets.
Josh Hart (SG)	out for season	Knee - 21 / 03 / 19	7-4	4-7	+ -
Hart is recovering from a procedure on his right patellar tendon. He will miss the remainder of the 2018-19 season.
Josh Hart (SG)	Prob Tues	Knee - 18 / 03 / 19	7-5	5-7	+ -
Hart is battling right knee tendinitis but is projected to face the Bucks on Tuesday.

Houston

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Kenneth Faried (PF)	Ques Fri	Personal - 08 / 05 / 19	2-0	0-1-1	+ -
Faried is tending to a personal matter and it is unclear if he will play against the Warriors in Game 6 of the Western Conference second round.
Danuel House Jr. (SF)	Ques Fri	Toe - 05 / 05 / 19	3-1	2-1-1	+ -
House Jr. has inflammation in his right toe and it is unknown if he will be available for Game 6 of the Western Conference second round versus the Warriors.
Austin Rivers (PG)	Prob Tues	Illness - 28 / 04 / 19	4-2	2-3-1	+ -
Rivers is ailing from an illness but the symptoms are expected to subside in time for Game 2 of the Western Conference second round against the Warriors.
Clint Capela (C)	Prob Wed	Illness - 23 / 04 / 19	5-3	2-5-1	+ -
Capela is ailing from adenovirus and a klebsiella infection but is likely to play against the Jazz in Game 5 of the Western Conference first round.
Clint Capela (C)	Prob Sun	Illness - 12 / 04 / 19	7-4	3-7-1	+ -
Capela is battling an illness but is expected to suit up against the Jazz in Game 1 of the Western Conference first round.
Danuel House Jr. (SF)	Prob Sun	Knee - 07 / 04 / 19	9-4	4-7-2	+ -
House Jr. is likely to play against the Suns on Sunday despite a left knee contusion.
Iman Shumpert (SG)	Out Wed	Rest - 03 / 04 / 19	12-4	6-8-2	+ -
Shumpert will not play Wednesday against the Clippers as he will be given the night off to rest.
Eric Gordon (SG)	Prob Thurs	Ankle - 27 / 03 / 19	13-5	6-10-2	+ -
Gordon is expected to play Thursday against the Nuggets despite a right ankle sprain.
Kenneth Faried (PF)	Prob Tues	Knee - 26 / 03 / 19	14-5	6-11-2	+ -
Faried is sidelined due to left knee soreness but is likely to return against the Kings on Tuesday.
Eric Gordon (SG)	Prob Tues	Ankle - 25 / 03 / 19	14-5	6-11-2	+ -
Gordon is battling a sprained right ankle but it is likely he will play Tuesday against the Bucks.

Lakers vs. Rockets Prediction