Rockets Now 3.5-Point Favorites vs Lakers With LeBron Sitting Out Due to Sore Groin
- The Lakers meet the Rockets from the NBA bubble tonight without LeBron James, who is sitting out with a sore groin
- After opening as 1.5-point favorites, the Lakers are now 3.5 point underdogs
- See updated game odds, spread and total within the story below
The Los Angeles Lakers have lost two of their first three games since the return of NBA action to the Raptors and the Thunder – and are looking to get back on track in Houston.
They’ll be without LeBron James, however, who will miss the contest with a sore right groin. Unsurprisingly, the Lakers vs Rockets Odds have changed with the line and spread swinging towards Houston.
LAL have gone from 1.5-point opening favorites to 3.5 point underdogs, and are also now available at plus-odds on the moneyline.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total at FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | +134 | +3.5 (-114) | Over 226 (-110) |
| Houston Rockets | -158 | -3.5 (-108) | Under 226 (-110) |
Odds taken August 6th
Opening odds had the Lakers as -125 favorites and a -1.5 favorite to go into Houston and emerge victorious, but now that they’re without LeBron and they’ve lost two of three, they’re the +3.5 underdogs.
Los Angeles does catch a break in that Russell Westbrook is expected to miss the game as well, which will move the line a little bit throughout the day.
Lakers Need Another Monstrous AD Performance
Without the presence of James the Lakers will need their other superstar in Anthony Davis to show up and deliver a tremendous performance to defeat James Harden and the Rockets.
In two of three games in the bubble, the Brow hasn’t been up to his normal standards. That other game though he flashed, scoring 42 points against the Jazz which was his third highest output of the season.
Anthony Davis is unreal. 😳
Big guard. 40 points pic.twitter.com/hRPThE5H69
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) August 4, 2020
Which Anthony Davis will show up against Houston? The player who dropped 42 on Utah or the player who had just 14 points against Toronto on 2-of-7 shooting and a paltry nine points on 3-of-11 from the field against OKC?
Without the presence of his sidekick, and four other Lakers who are nursing ailments, it’s hard to believe that the Brow will be able to carry the rest of the team on his back given his inconsistency since the restart. It will also likely cause the under to hit in the game, without LeBron and Westbrook racking up points.
Pick: Houston Rockets -158 moneyline, -3.5 ATS, Under 226 points (-110)
Michael "Hound Dog" Harrison is well known in the sports industry as the resident statistician for the SC with Jay Onrait Show. He has worked at TSN for over 16 years, where he's been featured on Sportscentre, That's Hockey, That's Hockey 2Nite, The Masters preview shows, and several more.
