The Los Angeles Lakers (20-14) travel to face off against the Houston Rockets (22-12) on Sunday, January 5th. This game will be played at Toyota Center in Houston and televised on SN-LA. The Lakers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Rockets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rockets. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Lakers vs Rockets

The Lakers Are Coming Off A Win

The Lakers improved to 20-14 this season with a 119-102 win over the Hawks on Friday. Playing at home, Los Angeles was favored by 2.5 points and covered the spread, while the game’s total of 221 points fell short of the 234.5-point line.

Los Angeles led 31-28 after the 1st quarter and extended their lead by outscoring Atlanta 34-29 in the 2nd and 31-29 in the 3rd. They clamped down defensively in the 4th, holding the Hawks to 16 points while scoring 23 of their own.

The Rockets Are Coming Off A Win

The Rockets fell to 22-12 on the season after a 109-86 loss to the Celtics on Friday. Houston, who were +3.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread at home. The total points for the game were 195, well under the 220.5 O/U line.

Boston went on a 10-0 run early, pushing the score from 15-14 to 25-14. Houston trailed 82-72 going into the 4th quarter but were outscored 27-14 in the final period.

Lakers Offense Breakdown

LeBron James led the Lakers to a win over the Hawks, scoring 30 points on 65% shooting, along with 8 assists. Austin Reaves added 20 points, with 11 coming in the 3rd quarter, while Anthony Davis contributed 18 points and 19 rebounds.

The Lakers hit 13 threes at a 43.3% rate, finishing with a 48.9% field goal percentage overall. Dalton Knecht scored 11 of his 13 points in the 2nd quarter.

Rockets Offense Breakdown

The Rockets struggled offensively in their loss to the Celtics, scoring just 86 points on 36.4% shooting from the field. Their three-point shooting was also lacking, as they hit only 10 threes at a 27.8% rate.

Jalen Green led the way for Houston with 27 points, connecting on 5 threes at 38.5%. Alperen Şengün added 14 points, while Cam Whitmore chipped in 11 despite shooting just 23.5% from the floor.

Lakers Team Defense

The Lakers’ defense held the Hawks to 102 points on Friday, including just 16 points in the 4th quarter, to secure a win. Los Angeles allowed 28 points in the 1st quarter and 29 points in both the 2nd and 3rd quarters.

Los Angeles limited the Hawks to 41% shooting from the field and just 17% from beyond the arc, allowing only 6 made three-pointers. The Lakers sent the Hawks to the free-throw line 18 times, where they made 14. Defensively, the Lakers recorded 4 steals and 6 blocks.

Rockets Team Defense

The Lakers’ defense held the Hawks to 102 points on Friday, with their best effort coming in the 4th quarter, where they allowed just 16 points. Overall, they limited Atlanta to 41% shooting from the field.

Los Angeles was particularly effective at defending the three, holding the Hawks to 17% shooting with only 6 made threes. The Lakers also recorded 6 blocks in the game.

Lakers vs Rockets Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Los Angeles has an ATS mark of 5-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 5-5 while averaging 104 points per game.
• Across their ten previous home games, Houston has an ATS mark of 6-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 6-4 while averaging 111 points per game.
• Through their last five games as the underdog, the Lakers have an ATS record of 4-1 and a straight up mark of 4-1.
• As the betting favorite, the Rockets have an ATS record of 3-2 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 3-2.

Lakers vs Rockets Prediction

The Lakers come in as the underdog at +4.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 218, and our model projects the Lakers and Rockets to reach a combined total of 246 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.