A bright spotlight will shine down on Southern California tonight, Tuesday, April 21, as the Los Angeles Lakers (1-0) look to protect home court and take a commanding series lead against the Houston Rockets (0-1). Tipoff for Game 2 is set for a 10:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena, with national coverage provided by NBC and Peacock.
Despite falling in the series opener, the Rockets enter tonight’s contest as 5.5-point road favorites, while the over/under is positioned at 208 total points. Houston is a -220 favorite on the moneyline to even the series, with the Lakers sitting as +180 underdogs to pull off another upset.
Below, I’ll break down my Rockets vs. Lakers predictions and NBA picks for this pivotal Tuesday night showdown.
Rockets vs Lakers Game 2 Prediction
- Rockets vs Lakers pick: Rockets -5.5 (-105)
My Lakers vs. Rockets best bet for Game 2 is on Houston to cover the spread. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Rockets vs Lakers Odds
| Rockets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -105 | 208 -110o / -110u | -220 |
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -115 | 208 -110o / -110u | +180 |
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Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles NBA Preview
I don’t love trusting the Rockets, but Kevin Durant is almost definitely back. Bone bruises just aren’t something that keep guys out for more than a game in the playoffs. KD will play and you’ll get CLV on this line — although, that’s no guarantee of a win.
Houston had everything go wrong for them in Game 1. Alperen Sengun appeared shaken and uncomfortable. Reed Sheppard missed shots. Their whole rotation was a mess.
I’m not sure the Rockets have the tactical ability to make huge adjustments, but a simple matter of “play better” combined with the return of Durant should be enough to get them over the finish line in Game 2.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are still sidelined for the Lakers, so it's no surprise that Los Angeles is listed as an underdog in Game 2 with Houston expecting the return of Durant — and the Rockets trying to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole.
I doubt the Lakers will able to trick their way into scoring enough points to win tonight's contest.
Rockets vs Lakers Picks, Betting Analysis
Rockets -5.5
Durant is singularly so good that he forces enough defensive attention to free up other players on the Rockets.
Sengun, in particular, will almost certainly play better — and that, alone, is probably too much offense for the Lakers to keep pace with.
Over 208
My colleague, Michael Fiddle, already took the Over on our Buckets podcast episode — and that seems like the right answer.
Durant coming back, combined with more solid offensive play from the Rockets, as well as the Lakers continuing to be hard to defend because there’s not really much tape out on this version of the team, provides opportunities for LA to get into the gaps of the Rockets’ defense.
The Over in games when Luka doesn’t play is now 13-7 on the season, which is a strong enough trend to back the Over.
Marcus Smart Over 4.5 Assists
Marcus Smart will act as a primary creator next to LeBron James as long as Reaves and Doncic are out — and he’s capable.
Smart knows how to swing the ball and where, and he should pick up enough basic trigger-action assists to go Over this line tonight.
Alperen Sengun Over 13.5 Rebounds & Assists
Let’s bet on a bounce-back performance from Baby Jokic here, as it’s just unlikely Sengun plays as bad as he did last game — and it's also unlikely Deandre Ayton is good enough to keep him off the glass.
Rockets vs Lakers Game 2 Betting Predictions
- Rockets -5.5 (-105)
- Over 208 (-110)
- Marcus Smart Over 4.5 Assists (-135)
- Alperen Sengun Over 13.5 Rebounds & Assists (-108)
