Houston has emerged as a top NBA Finals Betting Odds favorite. With Stephen Curry’s playoff status in doubt at Golden State the Rockets have a path. Beyond that they boast the NBA’s top scorer. Offensively nobody is currently better than the Rockets. Defensively they have vastly improved to a championship level. For the Los Angeles Lakers there will be no playoffs. However there has been modest improvement over last year. Head coach Luke Walton has posted a credible rookie season. Lack of impact players is not his fault. Houston is at the Lakers on TNT Tuesday.
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Date and Time: Tuesday, April 10, 2018, 10:30 p.m. Eastern
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
NBA Betting Online Odds at SBG:
| Team | Spread | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockets | -8(-110) | 218(-110) |  |
| Lakers | +8 (-110) | 218 (-110) | |
| |||
Rockets vs. Lakers TV Coverage: TNT
Lakers
Long gone are the glory days of LA being NBA Finals Betting Odds chalks. What is ironic is that they are now a superior value on the board. In their glory days the public destroyed their prices vs. the line. Now the oddsmakers have to sweeten the pot to get betting action on the Lakers. At Staples Center Los Angeles is 21-18 vs. the odds. An offense by committee has served the Lakers well. They rank 10th in the Association for scoring. Conversely a defense that ranks 25th in the NBA has been their downfall.
Rockets
Consistent road betting success has been provided by Houston. They are 24-15 vs. the line away from home. Just 14 of their 39 away games have cleared the total. Down the stretch they have faded with just four payouts in ten games. Avoiding injury for the playoffs has been their obvious main objective. Head coach Mike D’Antoni is an offensive mastermind. Partnering with James Harden the Rockets rank 2nd in the NBA for scoring. Perhaps as impressive is a defense that ranks eighth best in the league.
Big Names on Court
The Lakers are led by Julius Randle. He has a team best 16 points, three assists, and eight rebounds per game. The fourth-year pro from Kentucky was a first round pick for LA in 2014. Houston’s James Harden leads the NBA in scoring with 31 points per game. He also has a team high nine assists per outing. Clint Capela keeps the glass clean for the Rockets with 11 per outing. Harden made his sixth All Star game this year.
Team vs Team
Houston has had the sportsbook online edge against the Lakers. In the last 16 meetings they got the money 12 times. Over the total has hit in seven of the last eight between the Rockets and LA. Staples Center has seen the Rockets get paid in seven of their last eight vs. Los Angeles. Four of the last six at LA in this series went under the total.
Matchup to Watch
This is not a good spot for the NBA Finals Betting Odds favorites. Houston has clinched top seed and has little incentive for this one. Walton and the Lakers can steal one here. In this matchup timing is everything. Circumstances all point to Los Angeles.
Rockets vs. Lakers NBA games Betting Odds Picks
Los Angeles has enough offense to get the money. All the Rockets want out of this game is to escape without injury.
NBA Betting Online Pick: Los Angeles Lakers
NBA Betting Online Score Prediction: Lakers 110, Rockets 104