Lakers vs. Rockets Predictions, Odds

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

7 minute read

Jan. 11, 2021

By Jonathan Willis

VegasInsider.com

The Houston Rockets will get another chance to take down the Los Angeles Lakers at the Toyota Center on Tuesday night.

Houston was unsuccessful in its first attempt on Sunday, falling behind by 19 points at halftime against the defending champions.

The Lakers shot over 50 percent from the floor, while the Rockets were under 30 percent from the three-point line.

Lakers vs. Rockets Betting Resources

Matchup: Western Conference
Expert Picks: Vegas Insiders
Venue: Toyota Center
Location: Houston, Texas
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
TV: NBA TV
Bet: BetMGM | BetRivers | FanDuel | PointsBet | All

Betting Odds - Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets

Line Movements

Subject to Change

Spread: Los Angeles -5
Money-Line:
Total: 223.5

James Harden and the Rockets have lost five consecutive meetings with the Lakers. (AP)

Lakers vs. Rockets Current Form-Last Game

Houston’s only wins this season have come against Sacramento and Orlando at home. The Rockets beat the Kings in consecutive home games in the span of three days about two weeks ago, and they hammered the Orlando Magic 132-90 last Friday.

They have not been as effective against other teams. Houston has yet to win a road game and lost to Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers by double digits at home.

Center Christian Wood led the Rockets in scoring against the Lakers on Sunday with 23 points on 10 of 20 shooting. John Wall and James Harden were the only other players with at least 10 points.

The Lakers have yet to lose a road game this year. All three of Los Angeles’ losses have come at home.

The Lakers are currently 5-0 on the road with two wins against Memphis, two wins against San Antonio, and Sunday night’s win against Houston. Their defense has been solid away from home, allowing 99.2 PPG in those five games.

Anthony Davis dominated Houston in the low post in the first meeting on Sunday. He went 9 of 12 from the floor and hit 9 of his 10 free throws to lead all scorers with 27 points.

Davis finished +29 as Houston didn’t have an answer for his size and athleticism. The early lead led to Davis and LeBron James only playing 30 minutes each, leading to three bench players finishing with at least 13 points.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets Head-to-Head

Jan. 10, 2021 - Lakers 120 at Rockets 102, L.A. -4, Under 223.5
Sep. 12, 2020 - Lakers 119 vs. Rockets 96*, L.A. -6.5, Under 217.5
Sep. 10, 2020 - Lakers 110 vs. Rockets 100*, L.A. -5.5, Under 218

(SU-Straight Up, ATS - Against the Spread, OU - Over-Under)

Los Angeles Lakers Betting Outlook

Inside the Stats (2020-2021)

Overall: 8-3 SU, 5-6 ATS, 3-8 O/U
Road: 5-0 SU, 3-2 ATS, 0-5 O/U

James hasn’t missed a beat despite having less than three months off after the NBA Finals ended in mid-October. He has played in all 11 of the Lakers’ games to date, averaging 24.0 PG, 8.3 RPG, and 7.7 APG.

James is a little more turnover prone than usual (3.5 TPG), yet he is shooting well from the floor and making things happen for L.A.

Davis is averaging 22.9 PPG and 8.6 RPG while being a constant defensive presence in the paint. He is averaging 1.3 SPG and 1.6 BPG, as he looks to make the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the third time in four years.

Davis is hitting 54.7 percent from the floor and continues to force interior defenders outside by shooting 38.7 percent from downtown.

Montrezl Harrell has allowed Davis to leave the low post and take advantage of mismatches. Harrell is third on the team with 8.0 RPG, and he is one of five players scoring in double digits with 12.9 PPG. He is shooting an impressive 60.8 percent from the floor, but that’s largely the result of shots close to the rim.

The guard play was the big concern on the Lakers last year, so Dennis Schroder was acquired to help in that regard. Schroder is third on the team in scoring with 14.3 PPG, and he has been well-rounded with a decent chunk of rebounds and assists too. He is making just 42.3 percent of his field goals though and is not making threes with the same consistency he did with Oklahoma City last season.

Houston Rockets Betting Outlook

Inside the Stats (2020-2021)

Overall: 3-5 SU, 3-5 ATS, 3-4-1 O/U
Home: 2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS, 1-3-1 O/U

The overarching question for Houston this season is if/when the team decides to trade Harden. The 2018 NBA MVP and six-time All-NBA First-Team selection is not happy with the Rockets according to reports that have been swirling for the last month.

Harden reportedly requested a trade in early December despite having one more year left on his contract after this season, but the front office has been unwilling to deal him considering it would be nearly impossible for Houston to get fair value in return.

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer indicated that Harden has backed off from his trade demands in recent days. There is increased optimism in Houston that Harden will be with the Rockets for at least one more season, giving this team more time to make a potential move.

Harden leads the Rockets with 26.0 PPG and 11.0 APG, as he has been more of a distributor this season. He isn’t taking as many shots as he did the last three years, but he still has a high on-ball presence.

John Wall was acquired from Washington for Russell Westbrook in a blockbuster trade last month. Wall is the third star that Houston has tried to pair with Harden, and the Rockets are hoping that the former No. 1 overall pick is a better fit than Westbrook or Chris Paul.

Wall's health is a major concern as the guard played just 73 games over three seasons prior to this year due to injuries. He is currently playing some of his best basketball, shooting a career-high 46.4 percent from the floor.

However, Wall is making just 33.3 percent of his threes as he continues to struggle from beyond the arc, and he is unable to make the same impact as a passer with Harden running the offense.

Wood is reprising the Clint Capela role on this team. Wood started just 21 games in five seasons prior to this year, where he has already started in each of his seven appearances. He is seeing a ton of good looks in this system, shooting 54.1 percent from the floor for 23.3 PPG with 9.7 RPG as the team’s primary post presence.

Key Injuries

Los Angeles Lakers

SG Wesley Matthews: Achilles - Questionable
SF Jared Dudley: Calf - Questionable

Houston Rockets

PG John Wall: Migraine - Questionable
SF Danuel House: Back - Out
PG Chris Clemons: Achilles - Questionable