Rockets vs Lakers Predictions, Odds & Props to Target on March 31
By Chris Amberley in NBA Basketball
Published:
- The LA Lakers are 4-point favorites over the Houston Rockets tonight
- Houston has won 12 of their last 13 games coming in
- See the Rockets vs Lakers predictions, odds and props to target, below
Two of the best in the West square off tonight as the Houston Rockets (49-26, 22-14 away) face the Los Angeles Lakers (45-29, 28-9 home). Online sportsbooks are siding with LA, pegging the home team as chalk in the NBA odds. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:10 pm PT / 10:10 pm ET at the crypto.com Arena, with TNT providing the broadcast coverage.
Houston Rockets vs LA Lakers Predictions
- Houston Rockets +4.5 (-112) at Caesars
My prediction is that oddsmakers are a little too high on this Lakers team. On the flip side, not enough credit is being given to Houston’s recent form.
The Rockets have won 12 of their past 13 coming in. That includes a 39-point victory Sunday night over Pheonix, in a game where tempers flared early and often.
Houston is second in Net rating over the last 13 games, and top-five at both the offensive and defensive end. You could argue they haven’t faced a cast of NBA Championship odds contenders along the way, but you can only beat who’s listed on your schedule.
Jalen Green led the charge against the Suns, pouring in 33 points in only 27 minutes. That marked his third 30+ point outing in four games, and he’s averaging 33 points versus the Lakers this season.
Amen Thompson was an assist shy of a triple-double, as he continues to excel since his return from injury. In four games back, he’s averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds, with five blocks and 11 steals on defense.
The beauty of Sunday’s blowout victory was that it gave the Rockets starters time to rest. Houston pulled their core group early in the third, so there should be no excuse of tired legs on the second night of a back-to-back.
As for the Lakers, they bounced back from a fourth loss in five games on Thursday, with a victory in Memphis on Saturday. The trio of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves led the way, combining for 85 points and 25 assists.
Their play led to 120 of LA’s 134 points. Reaves led the way with 31 points, while Doncic and James chipped in 29 and 25 points a piece. The Lakers suffered defeats to the Bucks, Magic and Bulls twice during their skid, including a heartbreaking loss to a half court buzzer beater in Chicago.
They may have had victory snatched away from them in that outing, but their defense has struggled over the last month. They’ve allowed at least 118 points in six straight, and rank 22nd in defensive rating over the last 13 games.
LA is 5-8 during that stretch, and has not fared well versus the Rockets in recent memory. They’ve dropped their last two to Houston, allowing an average of 127 points.
Houston Rockets vs LA Lakers Odds
As of Monday morning, the Lakers are 4-point favorites and -170 on the moneyline. The total sits at 223.5 points, with the Rockets coming back as +142 underdogs. Per the NBA public betting trends, LA actually opened as 5.5-point chalk, but like myself, bettors feel that line was incredibly disrespectful to Houston’s talent.
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Odds as of March 31 at Caesars. Check out SBD’s Caesars Sportsbook review to see the available sign-up bonuses.
HOU vs LAL Player Props
NBA player props from DraftKings Sportsbook on March 31.
Moving to the props market, where over 7.5 rebounds for Amen Thompson is our target. As discussed, he’s been dominating the glass since his return, clearing this number in three of four games.
If you go back to before his injury, he’s gobbled up at least 9 rebounds in 11 of his last 12 contests. The matchup on the glass tonight is a favorable one. Over the last 13 outings, LA is 22nd in rebounding percentage. Houston, led by Thompson and Alperen Sengun, are first.
- Prop Pick: Amen Thompson Over 7.5 Rebounds (-120) at Caesars
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Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
