NBA
Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction
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LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half of a game/Getty Images
The end of March madness signifies an all-Western Conference battle between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers. Both organizations are located in second and fourth place in the West, respectively, and want to end their respective seasons out on a high before the playoffs. The Lakers are 4-6 in their last ten games, while the Rockets have only lost one game in that time. Who will prevail in this blockbuster battle?
SportsBoom has you covered with this extensively detailed preview covering all things related to the Rockets and the Lakers. We discuss recent and historical head-to-head battles, as well as talk more about key players in both rosters before highlighting our value bets and predictions.
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
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Los Angeles Lakers: 4/9 (1.44) – 69.2%
Houston Rockets: 7/4 (2.75) – 36.4%
Forecast odds – Betting available on 1Win closer to event
Head-to-Head Record
This Western Conference clash has occurred 238 times in the regular season. The first game between both franchises commenced in 1967, playing at least three games a season due to sharing the same Conference.
The Rockets have won three of their last five games against the Lakers, but the franchise has far fewer wins overall. The Rockets have won 90 times, but the Lakers have picked up 148 wins.
Last Five Matches
| Season | Date | Result |
| 2024/25 Season | January 5, 2025 | Houston Rockets 119-115 Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2023/24 Season | January 29, 2024 | Houston Rockets 135-119 Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2023/24 Season | December 2, 2024 | Los Angeles Lakers 107-97 Houston Rockets |
| 2023/24 Season | November 19, 2024 | Los Angeles Lakers 105-104 Houston Rockets |
| 2023/24 Season | November 8, 2024 | Houston Rockets 128-94 Los Angeles Lakers |
How is the season so far for both teams?
Houston Rockets
- Record: 46-26
- Home Form: 26-11
- Road Form: 20-15
The Houston Rockets have the best form in the Western Conference, winning nine of the last ten games played. This has seen the organization reap the rewards as a result, catapulting their seeding to second in the division. Though the league is still extremely competitive, the franchise will need to maintain its form until the end of the regular season.
Jalen Green is eyeing up the prospect of completing every game in back-to-back NBA seasons. The 23-year-old is averaging slightly higher than his career averages in rebounds and assists, posting 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists, respectively. In addition, this is his second highest-scoring NBA season, averaging 21.3 points per game.
31-year-old Fred VanVleet is the organization’s starting point guard, but it’s safe to say he isn’t performing as expected. In his second season with the Rockets, he has regressed to 14.5 points and 5.6 assists per game. These numbers aren’t close to his output last season, as he averaged 17.4 points and 8.1 assists, indicating that he needs to step up in the postseason. Despite this obvious decline, he remains the franchise’s lead assister, though.
Los Angeles Lakers
- Record: 43-26
- Home Form: 28-8
- Road Form: 15-8
The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a chaotic seeding battle in the Western Conference. Second place seed the Houston Rockets, while the Lakers and other rival teams are working hard to close out the final places in the playoffs. The franchise is 5-5 from their last ten matches, which means there is no margin for error as they are under threat from the organizations behind them. The Lakers should secure a high seeding in the West, considering their talented squad.
After a couple of weeks on the sidelines, 40-year-old LeBron James could feature in this matchup. James suffered issues with his groin, but this season, he continues to produce impressive numbers for his age. He is averaging 25 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game, which are truly incredible figures. James is averaging his highest in the latter two departments for the first time since his 2018/19 season. While his points-per-game averages are slightly down, he is still a world-class operator.
Having played 16 regular-season games since joining the organization over six weeks ago, Luka Doncic’s influence in Los Angeles cannot be overstated. He will only improve by the game but is already averaging 26.5 points with the team, in addition to 8 assists and 8.8 rebounds. The newly turned 26-year-old makes the Lakers a feared franchise when you combine the attributes James has, too.
Value Bets
Jalen Green: Over 20 Points and Over 5 Rebounds
Jalen Green has been featured in 12 separate games against the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 21.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Green has raised his game in recent months, averaging 34 and 33 points in his two most recent games. We predict Green to post at least 20 points and 5 rebounds again.
Luka Doncic: Over 30 Points and Over 10 Rebounds
Luka Doncic has incredibly impressive averages against the Houston Rockets in recent times. Don’t forget that he used to play for the Mavericks, so the inner-state rivalry played a part. In his last ten games, he had an unstoppable average of 35.7 points and 10.4 rebounds, and we expect Doncic to continue this trend as he plays the Rockets for the first time as a Laker.
Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers to win
In conclusion, SportsBoom predicts that the Los Angeles Lakers will prevail. The Lakers have James fit and ready for this one after a minor injury. Doncic and James will be the difference in this one, leaving us to predict the franchise will stop the in-form Rockets from winning.
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship and earned a Multimedia Sports Journalism degree from UCFB in 2023.
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