NBA Predictions: Will Harden, Rockets get revenge vs. Lakers? 12/31/17

Lakers vs. Rockets Pick

Will the Houston Rockets avoid a second upset home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers this month? Game time is at 7PM ET.

Who Oddsmakers Like: According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Rockets are a 14.5-point favorite on the spread line. The total sits at 227 points. Houston opened as a 14-point fave and the over-under started at 225 points.

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Who the Public Likes: As of Sunday afternoon, 53 percent of bets have been placed on the visiting Lakers.

Injury Report: Lonzo Ball will miss today's game and tomorrow's game as the Lakers rookie point guard continues to recover from a sprained shoulder. Brook Lopez is out at least another week with a sprained ankle. For the Rockets, center Clint Capela is expected back in the lineup after missing two games with an orbital fracture. Nene missed last game for undisclosed reasons and his status is unknown for tonight. Luc Mbah a Moute is recovering from a dislocated shoulder and will miss a couple more weeks.

Who the Trends Like: Los Angeles is 1-4 ATS in its last five meetings in Houston. The over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings and 5-0 in the last five meetings in Houston.

Who We Like: The Lakers stunned the Rockets by a count of 122-116 in Houston on Dec. 20, ending a 14-game winning streak in the process. Don't expect a repeat here. While Houston has unexpectedly lost five in a row, Chris Paul has missed all but the last game and Capela has missed several games with two different injuries. They're back in the fold now and a complete Rockets roster is terrifying for the NBA. Ball was healthy for the Lakers the last time and his absence hurts the smoothness of the LA offense. The spread here is large, but Houston has blown a lot of teams out this year when at 100 percent.

 

NBA DAILY PREDICTION: HOUSTON ROCKETS -14.5