The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Houston Rockets on Friday in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet.
The Lakers will get a third chance to end the Rockets’ season after taking a 3-0 lead in this series and losing Game 4 and Game 5. In Game 5 on Wednesday, they got out to a 26-15 lead late in the first quarter, but that lead quickly disappeared, and they played from behind for most of the rest of the game. A number of Lakers players — including even LeBron James, who missed all six of his 3-point attempts — didn’t quite play up to their standards, resulting in a 99-93 loss.
For Game 6, Kevin Durant is reportedly expected not to play, which would make it his fourth consecutive missed game due to an ankle sprain and bone bruise. Austin Reaves made his return from an oblique strain on Wednesday, but while he scored 22 points off the bench, he missed 12 of his 16 shot attempts.
The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
Lakers vs Rockets injury reports
Lakers: Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain) is out.
Rockets: Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) is doubtful. Steven Adams (left ankle surgery) and Fred VanVleet (right knee ACL repair) are out.
Advice and Prediction:
The Rockets seemed to have nothing more than a faint pulse going into Game 4. But after they got two wins in a row since, they’re not only alive and kicking, but they seem to be buoyant and confident, even without Durant.
While L.A. has outrebounded them in both of the last two games, they continue to force turnovers by pressuring L.A.’s ball-handling, getting into the passing lanes and daring L.A. to make risky passes. The Lakers had 24 turnovers in Game 4, and while that figure went down to 15 in Game 5, all 15 of them seemed very costly. They also shot 42.1% from the field and 25.9% from 3-point range after shooting a robust percentage in all three of their victories, and their point production has been dwindling throughout the series.
The Lakers’ fate in Game 6 could start and end with James. He needs to get his team into the right frame of mind before it hits the court, and he needs to lead with his actions when the game starts. That doesn’t necessarily mean he has to have a big scoring night — he could do what he did in Game 1 and notch lots of assists early without taking that many shots. But he cannot simply play at his baseline level of aggression and intensity, which is what he seemed to do on Wednesday.
The fact is that one has to expect the Rockets to play with lots of confidence, aggression and intensity, and one has to expect their fans at the Toyota Center to be much louder than they were in Game 4. The Lakers will have to match, if not exceed, Houston’s confidence, aggression and intensity while coming out with a killer instinct, and there is nothing to suggest right now that it will happen.
Prediction: Rockets 105, Lakers 100
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Prediction and betting odds for Lakers vs. Rockets Game 6
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
