The Los Angeles Lakers are 6-1 straight up and 5-2 against the spread over their last seven games. The Lakers will try to continue their hot streak with an upset win over the Houston Rockets this Thursday night.
LeBron, Lakers Thursday road underdogs at Houston
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers hope to stay hot this Thursday night on the road against the Houston Rockets as betting underdogs at the sportsbooks.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Los Angeles is a 5.5-point underdog on the NBA odds in Houston at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. This will be the seventh time that the Lakers are an underdog this season with the team going 3-3 SU and ATS in their previous six games as one.
Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets
When: Thursday, December 13, 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Betting Line / Total: Houston -5.5 / 222.5 Points
Los Angeles Lakers
Since opening their season in a 2-5 SU and ATS skid, the Lakers have been coming together as a team and are 15-5 SU and 10-10 ATS over their last 20 games.
LeBron James is playing the lowest number of minutes per game in his career at 34.9 per game as Luke Walton and the Lakers hope to keep him fresh and healthy for the stretch run of the season. Despite his extra rest, James is still averaging 28.3 points per game, which is his highest rate since the 2009-10 season.
Los Angeles is just 3-15 SU and 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games against the Houston Rockets per the OddsShark NBA Database.
Houston Rockets
James Harden has continued to thrive in Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system, leading the NBA in scoring with 30 points per game while also averaging 8.1 assists per game. But despite Harden’s production, the Rockets aren’t finding wins in 2018. Houston is 12-14 SU and 10-16 ATS through its first 26 games, and what was once looking like a slump has become a legitimate cause for concern. The Rockets are 3-7 SU and ATS over their last 10 games since winning five straight back in November.
Thursday night’s total is set at 222.5 points at sports betting sites. The UNDER is 10-2 in Los Angeles’s last 12 games.
While the Rockets were the team that entered the season as Golden State’s biggest threat in the Western Conference, the Lakers may be closing the gap. This game will be a good litmus test for both teams, and it should be a treat for all basketball fans to see LeBron James and James Harden go head-to-head.
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