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Rockets vs. Lakers Game 2 Prediction: NBA Playoff Odds, Point Spread
They might play small, but the Houston Rockets came up with a big win in their second-round series opener with the Los Angeles Lakers. The question now is whether the Lakers can respond as the teams prepare for Game 2 on Sunday in Orlando. The Rockets cruised to a 112-97 victory on Friday night behind 36 points from James Harden, leaving the Western Conference-champion Lakers down 1-0 for the second straight playoff series.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Lakers went into Game 2 as five-point favourites initially, but the line has moved to -5.5 while Los Angeles is -234 on the moneyline. And Sports Interaction participants are nearly split right down the middle here, with 52 percent taking the Lakers minus the points. But buyer beware in this case: Los Angeles has gone just 4-11 against the spread (ATS) in its previous 15 games and has lost each of its previous three head-to-head meetings with Houston outright.
There isn’t much of a consensus on the total, either; it opened as high as 226.5 but has settled in at 224. A 56-percent majority is siding with the Under, which isn’t a surprise given that the first game produced just 209 total points. The teams are 5-5 O/U in their last 10 encounters overall, but have combined to average better than 232 points in those meetings. The Rockets are on a run that has seen them convert the Under in four of their last five games.
Houston Rockets
Harden gets the attention in Houston, and rightfully so: he won the scoring title this season and was unstoppable in the opener. But the Lakers will need to account for Russell Westbrook, as well. He’s making his way back from a right quad injury but looked terrific in Game 1, scoring 24 points while adding nine rebounds and six assists. He averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists during the season – and a return to form could spell trouble for L.A.
Los Angeles Lakers
Being one of the greatest players on the planet doesn’t protect you from criticism – especially in L.A. And LeBron James is finding that out as he took plenty of heat from fans (and likely Lakers bettors, as well) for disappearing in the fourth quarter of Game 1. LeBron attempted just three shots – missing all of them – as Houston turned a six-point edge into a 19-point advantage with 7:15 remaining. Count on a LeBron bounce-back in Game 2.
HOU
LAL