Lakers – Rockets

Lakers Rockets betting preview Lebron James

Lebron James will make his debut at Staples Center in an LA uniform when the Lakers take on the Rockets on Saturday night in the NBA.

The Lakers (0-1, 0-1 away) started their season with a 9 point loss in Portland on Thursday night, in Lebron’s first game as a Laker. It was an OK game for LA, but it was also clear that they are searching for an identity, and there were plenty of sloppy plays throughout the game. The Lakers will hope to bounce back here in their home opener against the Rockets, but it might take some time for them to find chemistry after changing most of the roster in the off season.

The Rockets (0-1, 0-1 home) were a game away from knocking off Golden State in the Western Conference finals last year, but they fell just short. This Summer they lost two defensive aces in Ariza and to a lesser extent Mbah a Moute, bringing in Carmelo Anthony as a replacement. The feeling is that the Rockets have lost a bit of strength after these moves, and the start of the season was not promising at all: Houston lost by 19 points at home to the Pelicans on Wednesday.

Bet on Lakers vs. Rockets and claim your 100% (120 Eur) welcome bonus at LSbet!

Team news: Wagner is questionable for LA, while Houston will miss Knight, Qi, Chriss and has Nene questionable. All these are fringe players and their absences should have no impact on the game.

The Rockets looked really bad in their season opener, but that is unlikely to happen again. Whether they are slightly better or slightly worse than last season after losing Ariza and adding Anthony, fact is that they are still pretty much the same team that went 65-17 in the regular season and almost knocked off the Warriors last year.

This is one of the Top 3 sides in the NBA and it`s highly unlikely they can play two bad games in a row. Chances are James Harden and Chris Paul will bounce right back after that shock against the Pelicans (a Pelicans side which shot lights out in that game).

The Lakers will probably be a playoff team this year with Lebron James and maybe even a Top 4 or 5 seed, but they are not as good as the Rockets. More importantly, they will need some time to find their groove. The addition of Lebron, along with the signing of other 4-5 players, has changed the entire complexity of the team and the Lakers will need to learn to play together, find an identity, and attain cohesiveness.

The Lakers made a lot of sloppy plays in the first game and that will likely continue happening for some time. Their lack of 3 point shooting also hurt them and will continue to hurt them.

Houston is an absolute beast of a team in transition and they will punish LA’s turnovers, as well as their missed three pointers (which determine long rebounds and transition opportunities). In these circumstances the matchup looks great for the Rockets here, especially as the Lakers played at a very fast pace two nights ago – something Houston loves, and is better at than LA.

The Rockets are better, they are coming after a bad game so they are likely to bounce back, and they also seem to match up well against these Lakers. My tip will be Houston to win straight up. They should cover the 3.5 point spread as well, but the atmosphere will be crazy and the Lakers probably won`t throw in the towel at any point – which could be a bit dangerous for the handicap. Odds for the straight win are solid, so I won`t risk the handicap this time. Prediction: LA Lakers – Houston Rockets 110 – 120.

Pick: Rockets
Odds: 1.64 @ 1xBet
Stake: 10
Possible profit: 6.40
Event date: 21 October

About Rostick

Born in '88. Running betting tips websites since 2007. Launched Betdistrict in 2013. Worked as a bookie for a year to spy on the other side. Rugby Union and NBA expert. Editor info & statistics.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *