Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets Betting Pick & Prediction 1/5/25
The Lakers (20-14) are currently on a two-game win streak and are 5th in the Western Conference. They are +160 underdogs and have a spread of +4.5 against the Rockets (22-12), who are 2nd in the West and are favored by 4.5. The over/under line is set at 218 points.
This Western Conference matchup will be played at the Toyota Center in Houston. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 ET and can be seen on SN-LA.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS HOUSTON ROCKETS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Los Angeles Lakers +4.5
This game will be played at Toyota Center at 7:00 ET on Sunday, January 5th.
WHY BET THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 126-120 in favor of the Lakers.
- Our projections have Anthony Davis finishing with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists.
- From the field, we have the Lakers finishing with a field goal percentage of 49.0% and knocking down 13 threes.
Is an Upset Waiting to Happen on the Road?
With a 119-102 win over the Hawks on Friday, the Lakers improved to 20-14 this season. Playing at home, L.A. entered the game as -2.5 point favorites and covered the spread. The total points for the game ended at 221, falling short of the 234.5 O/U line.
After leading 31-28 after the 1st quarter, the Lakers extended their lead by winning the 2nd and 3rd quarters, 34-29 and 31-29, respectively. They closed out the game by holding Atlanta to just 16 points in the 4th quarter while adding 23 of their own.
LeBron James led the Lakers to a win over the Hawks with 30 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds, shooting 65% from the field. Austin Reaves added 20 points, despite shooting just 33.3%, and Anthony Davis contributed 18 points and 19 rebounds, shooting 35.3%.
The Lakers hit 13 threes at a 43.3% clip, finishing with a 48.9% overall shooting percentage. Reaves scored 11 points in the 3rd quarter, while Dalton Knecht added 11 of his 13 points in the 2nd quarter.
The Lakers gave up 102 points but locked down in the 4th quarter, allowing just 16 points to secure the win. They held the Hawks to 41% shooting overall.
From beyond the arc, the Lakers were even better, limiting the Hawks to 6 made threes on 17% shooting. The Lakers also recorded 6 blocks in the game.
Is A Home Victory Likely for Favored Houston?
Houston’s season record dropped to 22-12 after a 109-86 loss to the Celtics on Friday. The Rockets, who were +3.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread at home. The game’s total of 195 points fell well short of the 220.5-point O/U line.
Boston’s 10-0 run early on set the tone, and while the Rockets kept things close through three quarters, trailing 82-72 going into the 4th, they were outscored 27-14 in the final period.
In their 109-86 loss to the Celtics, the Rockets struggled offensively, shooting just 36.4% from the field and 27.8% from three-point range, making only 10 threes. Jalen Green led the way with 27 points, hitting 5 threes at a 38.5% clip.
Alperen Şengün added 14 points, 8 of which came in the 1st quarter, while Cam Whitmore contributed 11 points. Green scored 10 points in both the 2nd and 3rd quarters, but managed just 3 in the 4th.
Despite a strong defensive effort in the 3rd quarter, where they held the Celtics to just 17 points, the Rockets couldn’t overcome a rough start, allowing 37 points in the 1st quarter. Overall, they gave up 109 points in the game while Boston shot 50% from the field.
Houston struggled to defend the three-point line, as the Celtics connected on 19 threes at a 48% clip. The Rockets sent Boston to the line 18 times, where they made 12 free throws. Houston recorded 6 steals and 4 blocks in the game.