Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets Prediction, Preview and Odds - 04/02/2023

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Sunday, April 2, 2023

Venue:  Toyota Center, Houston, TX

Where to Watch:  Sportsnet SW

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Lakers -11.5, Rockets +11.5; Over/Under:  232.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Lakers -11.5, Rockets +11.5; Over/Under:  233 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Lakers -11.5, Rockets +11.5; Over/Under:  232.5 points

Los Angeles Lakers:  39-38 (5th place, Pacific Division)

Houston Rockets:  19-59 (5th place, Southwest Division)

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Los Angeles Lakers:  6-4 last 10

Houston Rockets:  3-7 last 10

The Lakers are coming into this game with a 39-38 record overall and they are 18-20 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 2 game winning streak with wins coming against the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last game. Anthony Davis led the team in points in that game with 38 while LeBron James was next on the team with 18 points. D'Angelo Russell led the team in assists in that game with 10 while Anthony Davis led the team in rebounds with 17. They were 50% from the field, 40.9% from 3-point range, and 80% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 116.5 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 116.5 PPG against them. The Lakers have an ATS record of 38-38-1 this season and their O/U record is 39-38.

The Rockets are coming into this game with a 19-59 record overall and they are 13-26 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off of a win against the Detroit Pistons in their last game. Kevin Porter Jr. led the team in points in that game with 33 while Jalen Green was next on the team with 32 points. Alperen Şengün led the team in assists in that game with 7 while Alperen Şengün led the team in rebounds with 13. They were 45.8% from the field, 35.5% from 3-point range, and 75.6% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 110.5 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 118.8 PPG against them. The Rockets have an ATS record of 31-43-4 this season and their O/U record is 39-38-1.

The current betting odds have the Lakers listed as an 11.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Lakers haven't been great this season with their 39-38 record overall but they are finally getting healthier and playing a lot better in their games. They haven't been good in their road games as they have an 18-20 road record but they have won 2 games in a row now and are still fighting for a playoff spot in the West. They will likely have to settle for a play-in spot but they still have a chance to catch the Warriors in a real playoff spot so they will be motivated to keep playing at a high level as they look to get really hot going into the playoffs too. The Rockets have been terrible this season with their 19-59 record overall making them one of the worst teams in the West and the entire NBA. They have also been terrible in their home games with a 13-26 home record and they have had trouble stringing together wins all season. They just pulled off a big win in their last game but that came against the Pistons who have also been terrible. The Lakers have been on a roll lately and they will continue here as they look to climb the standings with few games left in the season. The best way to place a bet here is on the Lakers to cover the spread in this game. 

Lakers Rockets Prediction:  Our NBA Pick for Sunday, April 2, 2023 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Lakers 117 Rockets 96.

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Los Angeles Lakers: 11-6 ATS against Southwest division opponents. 28-19 UNDER against Southwest division opponents. 10-3 UNDER off 2 or more consecutive road wins.

Houston Rockets: 8-17 ATS as an underdog of 10 or more points. 42-71 ATS in home games. 9-1 UNDER after a win by 6 points or less.

Los Angeles Lakers:  M. Bamba (C) Mid April - Ankle.

Houston Rockets:  J. Tate (SF) Out indefinitely - Knee.

“You’ve got to have that one pivotal force that’s leading the charge, and in our case with this particular team here in the moment it’s AD. When he comes out and he’s aggressive and we’re feeding him and he’s not settling and he’s putting pressure on the paint, putting pressure on the rim, we find ourselves having a lot of success.” - Darvin Ham after his team’s win against the Timberwolves in their game on Friday.

“We wanted this one bad, definitely. The last couple of games, we felt like we should’ve closed some out. So we knew Detroit was our first home game back and we definitely wanted this one to start off our home stretch.” - Kevin Porter Jr. after their win against the Pistons in their game on Friday.

PG D'Angelo Russell

SG Austin Reaves

SF LeBron James

PF Jarred Vanderbilt

C Anthony Davis

PG Kevin Porter Jr.

SG Jalen Green

SF Kenyon Martin Jr.

PF Jabari Smith Jr. 

C Alperen Sengun

PPG: L. James (29)

APG: L. James (6.8)

Reb/G: A. Davis (12.4)

PPG: J. Green (22)

APG: K. Porter Jr. (5.8)

Reb/G: A. Sengun (8.7)

Coaches:

Los Angeles Lakers: Darvin Ham (1st season)

Houston Rockets: Stephen Silas (3rd season)