by Amedeus Mastrangelo
Tuesday, Dec 28, 2021
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Where to Watch: Sportsnet SW
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Lakers -4.5, Rockets +4.5; Over/Under: 228.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Lakers -4.5, Rockets +4.5; Over/Under: 228.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Lakers -4.5, Rockets +4.5; Over/Under: 228.5 points
Season Record
Los Angeles Lakers: 16-18 (4th place, Pacific Division)
Houston Rockets: 10-23 (5th place, Southwest Division)
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Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets Preview and Analysis
Recent Form
Los Angeles Lakers: 4-6 last 10
Houston Rockets: 3-7 last 10
Los Angeles Lakers Analysis
The Lakers are coming into this game with a 16-18 record overall and they are 6-8 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. Their last win was against the Dallas Mavericks but they have gone on a 5 game losing streak since then with losses coming against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Chicago Bulls, the Phoenix Suns, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Brooklyn Nets in their last game. LeBron James went off in that game as he led the team in points with 39 while Malik Monk was next on the team off the bench with 20 points. Russell Westbrook led the team in assists in that game with 11 and he also led the team in rebounds as well with 12. They were 41.7% from the field, 28.6% from 3-point range, and 89.3% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 110 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 112.3 PPG against them. The Lakers have an ATS record of 12-22 this season and their O/U record is 18-16.
Houston Rockets Analysis
The Rockets are coming into this game with a 10-23 record overall and they are 7-7 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They have lost 5 of their last 6 games and are coming into this one on a 3 game losing streak after another loss in their last game. Their last win was against the Detroit Pistons while their 5 losses in that span came against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks, the Chicago Bulls, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Indiana Pacers in their last game. They still have a game on Monday night against the Charlotte Hornets that still needs to be played with that result pending so this will be the 2nd leg of a back-to-back for them on Tuesday night. In their game against the Pacers, Christian Wood led the team in points in that game with 22 while Jalen Green was next on the team with 20 points. Eric Gordon led the team in assists in that game with 5 while Wood and Alperen Sengun both led the team in rebounds with 8 each. They were 43.8% from the field, 40.5% from 3-point range, and 80.8% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 106.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 114 PPG against them. The Rockets have an ATS record of 16-16-1 this season and their O/U record is 18-15.
Lakers vs Rockets Prediction
The Rockets are coming into this game as a 4.5 point underdog with the current betting odds according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Rockets have not been playing well recently, currently on a 3 game losing streak but they have most of their starters for this game and they have not been playing awful in every game despite their record. They have kept a lot of these games close and they are going up against a Lakers team that has not been playing that well either. The Lakers are missing a few of their starters due to injury and LeBron has already shown in their past few games that he cannot carry the team by himself anymore. With Anthony Davis out in this one, the Lakers will need a lot of help from their bench and support role players in this game but the Rockets have some talent on their side and will be able to shut them down. The best bet to place in this game is on the Rockets to cover the spread here.
Lakers Rockets Prediction: Our NBA Pick for Tuesday, December 28, 2021 (8:00 pm ET start time) is Lakers 118 Rockets 116.
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NBA Betting Trends
Los Angeles Lakers: 6-11 O/U when the total is 220 to 229.5. 23-31 O/U as a road favorite. 13-23 O/U in a road game where the total is 220 to 229.5. 16-29 O/U against Southwest division opponents. 18-26 O/U off an upset loss as a favorite.
Houston Rockets: 19-34 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points. 11-25 ATS as a home underdog. 30-51 ATS in home games. 13-20 ATS when playing 4 or less games in 10 days.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Lakers: L. James (SF) Prob Tues - Abdominal injury. R. Rondo (PG) Out indefinitely - Illness. A. Reaves (PG) Out indefinitely - Illness. T. Ariza (SF) Out indefinitely - Ankle injury. K. Nunn (PG) Mid Jan - Ankle injury. K. Bazemore (SG) Out indefinitely - Illness. A. Davis (PF) Mid Jan - Knee injury. R. Westbrook (PG) Out indefinitely - Illness.
Houston Rockets: K. Porter Jr. (SG) Prob Mon - Thigh injury. J. Green (SG) Ques Mon - Hamstring injury. G. Mathews (SG) Out indefinitely - Illness. D. Augustin (PG) Out indefinitely - Illness. J. Wall (PG) Out indefinitely - Holdout.
Notable Quotes
"We have no chemistry with any lineup from the simple fact that we haven't logged any minutes. All of our defensive guys are in health and safety protocols. ... We don't need a full roster. We just need some of our guys back." - LeBron James after a loss against the Spurs last Thursday.
"Our offense got stagnant. We didn't attack the zone the way we should." - Christian Wood on their loss against the Pacers last Thursday.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Lakers
PG Russell Westbrook
SG Avery Bradley
SF Talen Horton-Tucker
PF LeBron James
C Dwight Howard
Houston Rockets
PG Jalen Green
SG Armoni Brooks
SF Eric Gordon
PF Jae'Sean Tate
C Christian Wood
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Lakers
PPG: L. James (27.4)
APG: R. Westbrook (8.1)
Reb/G: A. Davis (9.9)
Houston Rockets
PPG: C. Wood (17.2)
APG: K. Porter Jr. (5.8)
Reb/G: C. Wood (10.9)
Coaches:
Los Angeles Lakers: Frank Vogel (3rd season)
Houston Rockets: Stephen Silas (2nd season)
Amedeus Mastrangelo
About the Author:
Amedeus Mastrangelo has been heavily wagering on all sports for years and plays just about everything, including sides, totals, favorites, underdogs, against the spread, alternative spreads, first half, second half, player props, and futures. The bottom line is, if Mastrangelo can see an edge in any way shape or form, then he's going to take advantage.
