Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NBA match.
After a shock loss to the Chicago Bulls (117–119), the Los Angeles Lakers responded in style. They bounced back with a high-scoring road win over the Memphis Grizzlies (134:127). The Lakers now face another challenge in the form of the Houston Rockets, a team in the top 5 of the Western Conference.
Los Angeles Lakers
This season’s Lakers have been a different beast at home. At Crypto.com Arena, they’ve won 22 of 28 games as favourites and covered the spread in 18 of those (64.2%). With LeBron James and Luka Dončić on the court, the Lakers compensate for defensive frailties with ruthless efficiency on the offensive end — and the Rockets don’t appear equipped to exploit those weaknesses.
Houston Rockets
Since the trade deadline, the Lakers have struggled to defend the perimeter. But that’s unlikely to be an issue here — the Rockets don’t thrive from deep. They average 12.4 made threes per game (bottom-third in the league) and convert at a mediocre 34.7% rate. That puts them outside the NBA’s top 20 in both categories. There’s also a reality check needed: the Rockets have racked up 12 wins in their last 13, but all came against teams with losing records. Their only meeting with a genuine contender — the Denver Nuggets — ended in a 111:116 defeat, and that was without Nikola Jokić on the floor.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets Prediction
The Rockets have suffered 26 defeats this season, and 18 of them (69.2%) were against opponents with a 50% win rate or higher. Their 9-10 man rotation has worked against softer opponents, but it tends to get exposed in high-stakes games. At home, with star power and playoff urgency, the Lakers should assert control and cover the spread.
