The NBA season continues this week as we approach playoff season, as the Houston Rockets host the Los Angeles Lakers in a huge game at the top of the Western Conference.
The Rockets have had a strong campaign so far and come into this game with a 41-26 record, while the Lakers sit just above them in the standings and come into the game with a 43-25 record, with the two teams now set to face off for the second time this week.
We’ll take a look at the match-up and provide you with our best free NBA betting picks, as we try to earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the court.
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Houston opened their campaign in poor fashion, losing their opening two games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons. However, they quickly bounced back and went on an extraordinary run of 13 wins in their next 15 games, including victories against the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Golden State Warriors to end October with a 13-4 record.
That run came to an end at the start of November losing to Utah Jazz, before back-to-back wins over the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. But then the Rockets fell to five defeats in seven games to see their momentum fully halted. Four consecutive wins followed, including one against the Lakers, before another run of five defeats in seven games.
The Rockets then claimed an impressive seven wins in their next nine games, including a big 104-86 win over the Atlanta Hawks, ending January with a strong 30-17 record.
February saw the team go 3-3 before the All-Star break, before they won four of six after the break to end the month with a 37-22 record, while so far in March they have alternated wins and losses all month, going 4-4.
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The Lakers came into the season with plenty of expectation, but opened up their campaign with a defeat against the Golden State Warriors. But Luka Doncic then made his mark on his first full season with the franchise, leading the team to four wins in their next five games, including two wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
LA picked up three consecutive wins to open November against the Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs, before they fell to defeat against the Atlanta Hawks. But the team bounced back in impressive fashion, winning eight of their next nine games to end the month with a 15-4 record.
However, the team suffered a major setback in December as they won just five of their 12 games, ending 2025 with a 20-11 record.
The new year then began with mixed results, going 3-3 in their first six games after consecutive wins against the Memphis Grizzlies (twice) and the New Orleans Pelicans, before consecutive defeats against the Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks, and Sacramento Kings. The team then went 6-4 over the rest of the month, before a mixed February saw the team go 6-6, with three defeats either side of the All-Star game.
However, March has seen the Lakers find their groove once more, and they enter this game with an 8-1 record for the month, and on a six-game winning streak, including a 100-92 victory over Houston in their last outing.
So far this season these two teams have been very evenly matched across the board, and it has made for some exciting games between them too.
Their first meeting came on Christmas Day as the Rockets claimed a dominant 119-96 victory, before their second meeting earlier this week saw the Lakers claim a 100-92 win to continue their good form.
Statistically, the teams have been fairly even too. Los Angeles have averaged 116.3 points scored per game compared to Houston’s 113.8 points scored per game, while the Lakers have allowed 114.9 points per game compared to the Rockets’ 109.8 points per game.
Their top performing players have also had comparable campaigns. Luka Doncic has led scoring for LA with 32.9 points per game, compared to Kevin Durant‘s 25.8, while Doncic also has 8.5 assists per game on average, compared to Alperen Sengun‘s 6.1 assists per game.
Los Angeles come into the game with a 20-13 record on the road this season, while they are also 6-0 ATS in their last six games. The Rockets have an excellent home record, going 23-9 at the Toyota Center, but it’s hard to ignore the fact they were well beaten by the same side just two days ago.
With LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Luka Doncic all in excellent form, they may have too much for Houston to deal with, and at odds of +125, the value is too good to ignore.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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