NBA Betting Picks, Odds, And Preview: Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets’ small ball rotation will face an acid test against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday inside the Staples Center.

The Rockets traded away center Clint Capela to the Atlanta Hawks in a four-team deal that landed them swingman Robert Covington from Minnesota. It will be the first crack at the competition for coach Mike D’Antoni’s new line-up experiment as the team guns for its fourth win in a row.

The Lakers continue to sit comfortably at the peak of the West at 38 wins against only 11 defeats. The team has scored back-to-back wins after losing against the Portland Trail Blazers on Kobe Bryant’s tribute night.

Lakers

LeBron James was like a man possessed from beyond the arc on Tuesday's game against the Spurs. He broke the game wide open in the payoff period as he tied his season-high in three-pointers made with six.

The superstar forward torched San Antonio with five straight trifectas in the fourth quarter that finished in a 129-102 blowout for the Lakers.

James completed his all-around showcase with nine assists and seven rebounds as the purple and gold notched their 17th victory at home. As their homestand continues on Thursday, the Lakers will look to keep their flow running in front of the LA crowd.

Rockets

James Harden is ultimately back in his deadly form. The former MVP has averaged 38.3 points over his last three games that include a 40-point double-double over the Hornets on Tuesday.

Despite leading the league in scoring, Harden's struggles from the field all season long could not go unnoticed. But it appears to be not the case in his last two games where he shot 46 percent - a performance that is way better than his rate in January where he went for just 35.5 percent shooting.

Russell Westbrook, who missed Tuesday’s game against Charlotte, is still listed as questionable for Thursday's game due to a thumb injury.

Odds and Trends

The odds will be updated soon.

The Lakers are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games as an underdog and 4-1 in their last 5 games as a home underdog.

The Rockets are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600 and 6-2 in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.

Over is 10-1 in Lakers' last 11 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game and 9-0 in Rockets' last 9 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

Under is 4-1 in Rockets' last 5 games following a straight-up win of more than 10 points.

Prediction

Lakers 117, Rockets 109