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The marquee matchup on Saturday night is a clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets. We’ve obviously got a ton of star power with LeBron James (and potentially Anthony Davis) taking on James Harden and Russell Westbrook. On DraftKings Sportsbook the early point spread on this game is somewhat interesting. The odds are very short at this point and it may have something to do with Davis potentially missing another game. But there’s hope he could return, which could swing momentum in favor of L.A.
Lakers vs. Rockets odds, moneyline, over/under total
Spread: Rockets -2
Moneyline: Lakers +108
Over/Under: 233.5
How should you bet on Lakers vs. Rockets?
The easy answer is in favor of the Lakers and LeBron. I’m usually keen on getting L.A. whenever the team is getting points in any situation. This is because realistically, the Lakers have a more-than-good chance of beating any team in the NBA if LeBron James is healthy. I also think getting the Lakers at +2 is a good spot before the AD news comes out. I think LeBron is enough for L.A. to get past the Rockets, but if Davis is going to be back and play a decent amount of minutes, you’ve got to take advantage.
The Rockets are healthy, but don’t run a deep bench either. The Lakers have some depth, which should help them out on the road. It’s also not like Houston is a big homecourt advantage. The Rockets are 14-5 at home this season, and the Lakers are 17-3 on the road. Houston lacks frontcourt depth which should give them problems considering the Lakers can throw JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard and Kyle Kuzma at Clint Capela.
I say get in on this early before the line moves. The Lakers should probably be favored in this one regardless of the Davis situation and we’re not giving LeBron enough credit. Worst-case scenario is something close to a push, but that’s why I’d watch the game and adjust with some in-game bets if it makes sense.
Pick: Lakers +2
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