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The Los Angeles Lakers (16-18) will pay a visit to the Houston Rockets (10-24) on Tuesday night at Toyota Center. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. ET. The Lakers are riding a five-game losing streak after a 122-115 loss to the Nets on Christmas Day, while the Rockets have lost their last four in a row, and eight of their last 10 outings. Both teams will be looking for a win to pull up from their recent nose dive.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Lakers are favored to win this game on the road by five points. The visitors are at -210 on the moneyline with the Rockets at +175, and the point total is set at 227.
The Lakers will be missing a handful of players to COVID-19 protocols, as Trevor Azira, Kent Bazemore, Rajon Rondo, and Austin Reaves have all landed on that list. Kendrick Nunn recently cleared protocols, but remains sidelined with a knee injury, while Anthony Davis (knee) will be out for at least four weeks.
Houston will be without DJ Augustin, Garrison Mathews, Jae’Sean Tate, and Kenyon Martin Jr., who have all been placed in the league’s health and safety protocols. It sounds as though both Kevin Porter Jr. (thigh) and Jalen Green (hamstring) could make their way back to the court against the Lakers tonight as well after missing several games.
Lakers vs. Rockets, 8:00 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Lakers -5 (-110)
LeBron James and Russell Westbrook will look to pick up the points dropped by LA missing six players in Houston tonight. James just put up 39 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in the loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Christmas Day. Westbrook logged a triple-double but didn’t contribute quite as much in the points column, turning in 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. Regardless, the Rockets are at the bottom of the conference and have only won two in their last eight. They’re 5-5 ATS at home this season, but I think the Lakers will prove to be too much. Pick LA to win and cover.
Over/Under: Under 227 (-115)
The total being set at 227 seems a little high for these two sides. The Rockets are 7-7-0 at home on the over/under, and have failed to score more than 106 points in their last three games overall. The Lakers’ defense has taken a hit with Anthony Davis out, but Houston has one of the worst offenses in the league over their last three games, averaging just 103.7 points per game. With both teams missing some offensive firepower, under seems like the safe play.
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