Expert Picks, Best Bets & How to Watch Rockets vs Lakers Game 1

• The LA Lakers are 5-point home underdogs in Game 1 of their Round 1 series vs the Houston Rockets
• The Lakers’ two leading scorers: Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) are out
• See below for my Rockets vs Lakers pick, the latest odds, and how to watch Game 1

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They might own home court advantage, but it will be an uphill battle for the 4th-seeded LA Lakers (53-29, 28-13 home) in their Round 1 NBA Playoff series against the 5th-seeded Houston Rockets (52-30, 22-19 away).

The Lakers are a shell of a team that won 53 games, as NBA leading scorer Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique), the tean’s second leading scorer, are both out and no timeline for their return.

That makes them not a big underdog in Game 1’s NBA odds.

Is there a path to LA being competitive? Read below as I break down this matchup and share my best bet.

HOU Rockets vs LA Lakers Odds

Odds as of April 18. The interactive table above will automatically update as the NBA odds move over the course of the day.

The Rockets find themselves as 5-point road favorites on FanDuel, paying out at -108 odds, while a Houston win offers less desirable -205 odds. Taking the Lakers’ upset pays out at a cool +176, and they’re getting an extra half-point on the spread at DraftKings, with -115 odds.

Over bettors will want to head to Caesars, where the total is set at 207 points, while Under betters should stay on DraftKings, where they’re adding an extra half-point, to 207.5.

Rockets vs Lakers Picks

• Pick: Over 207.5 points (-105 at FanDuel)

The Lakers’ formula should be simple: turn every game into a rockfight, try to steal as many wins and extend this series as far as possible with the hope that Doncic can arrive late in the series and take this home.

Adjusting to life without Doncic and Reaves late in the regular season, the LA got gritty defensively, limiting the opposition to 94.3 points per game — with no team crossing 107 points — to close out the year with three straight wins.

Of course, those wins came against a Steph-less Golden State, the Phoenix Sins and the tanking Utah Jazz.

No matter how you feel about the Rockets, they are better than all of those squads, and feature a guy that can still get it done at age 37 in Kevin Durant.

It’s not nearly the top billing as it was before, but KD will be going toe-to-toe with LeBron James, and there’s still a chance that the better player in the series might be the deciding factor in winning the series.

That being said, Houston is playing its best basketball of the season, and they’re carrying my Rockets vs Lakers Under wager.

Houston ended the year winning nine of its last 10, and a team that couldn’t find itself offensively all year averaged 123.6 points per game during that fun-run, the fourth-best scoring average of any team in the association.

In fact, because of that offense, the Rockets and their opponents cruised past the 207.5 line set for Game 1 in nine of the 10 games, missing it by three points in a blowout win of the Knicks.

This prop is low because the Houston’s defense is legit, limiting teams to 108.4 points (sixth-best).

Aside from James, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura are the only Lakers in the lineup that averaged double digits on the year. That’s the reason the total is as low as it is. It’s a number Houston will drag LA past.

Rockets vs Lakers Player-Prop Best Bets

Pick 1: Kevin Durant OVER 24.5 Points (-114 at FanDuel)

Kevin Durant was held to just 18 points in back-to-back losses to the Lakers in March, but the conditions have changed. There’s no pressure to get big buckets, as LA’s lack of star power will find it tough to generate their own hoops.

Plus, KD was hot down the stretch, hitting the 25-point plateau 10 times in his final 13 regular season games. This shouldn’t be a problem in Game 2.

Pick 2: Luke Kennard OVER 12.5 Points (-118 at FanDuel)

LeBron James isn’t carrying a team by himself at age 41, but there are so few options available on the roster who can create their own offense and for others.

Enter Luke Kennard, who scored in double digits in four of the final five regular season games, crossing his 12.5 line three times. He’ll need to be effective for LA to have any chance Saturday.

How To Watch Rockets vs Lakers

Game 1 of the Rockets-Lakers tips off Saturday at 8:30pm from cytpo.com Arena in Los Angeles. The game will be broadcast live on ABC. Fans in Canada will be able to catch the game live on TSN.