Date/Time: 01-18-2020, 20:30 EDT / 01:30 GMT
Spread: Houston Rockets -1.5 Total: +230.5
Two heavy favorites for this season’s NBA championship are clashing tonight in Toyota Center of Houston, Texas when the fifth in the West Rockets (26-14) are hosting the team with the best record currently in the conference, the LA Lakers (33-8). Both teams are coming off defeats in their previous games and are looking to bounce back today.
The Rockets have a 26-14 record (19-21 against the spread) and are sitting in the 5th place of the West. They have lost three of their last four matches and in their last game they lost at home to the Blazers with a 107-117 score, not beating the odds. They are led in scoring by James Harden, with a league-best of 37.2 ppg, adding 6.2 rebounds and a team-best 7.5 assists per game. He is followed by Russell Westbrook, with 24.8 ppg, 7.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game.
The Lakers have a 33-8 record (22-18-1 against the spread) and are sitting in the first place of the West. In their last game they saw a nine-game winning streak get snapped by losing at home to the Magic with a 118-119 score, not beating the odds. They are led in scoring by Anthony Davis, with 27.1 ppg, adding a team high 9.4 rebounds per game but he is questionable for this game. LeBron James follows with 25.4 ppg, 7.7 rebounds and a league-best 10.9 assists per game.
In their four meetings last season, both teams were tied 2-2 wins with each team winning twice at home (the Rockets won both games by an average of 9.5 points). The Rockets are 14-5 at home, while the Lakers are 17-3 on the road. The Rockets are better offensively, scoring 118.7 ppg to the Lakers’ 114, while the Lakers are better defensively, allowing 105.4 ppg to Rockets’ 114. The Lakers have better percentages both in field goals (48.6% to 45.3%) and in 3-pointers (36.2% to 34.9%). On the other hand, the Rockets are better in rebounding (47.4 to 45.8), while the Lakers are better in assists made (26.1 to 21.6) and both teams commit almost the same number of turnovers per game (14.3 to 15.9). This is a matchup purely dependent on Anthony Davis’ status. With him in the lineup, the Lakers are the favorite for the road win but if he sits, pick the Rockets.
Lakers vs Rockets Prediction: Houston Rockets -1.5 (-111)
