Lakers vs Rockets Prediction

Houston Rockets (3-3) vs Los Angeles Lakers (3-4)

Game Info: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 8:00 pm (Toyota Center)

Betting Odds: Houston Rockets +2.5 -- Over/Under: 221.5

The Los Angeles Lakers invade the Toyota Center to battle the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers will be hoping to avoid a third straight defeat after coming up painfully short to the Heat in a 108-107 road loss on Monday. LeBron James led the way with 30 points on 13 of 23 shooting, Austin Reaves added 23 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists while D'Angelo Russell tallied 13 points and six assists. As a team, the Lakers shot 54 percent from the field and eight of 26 from the 3-point line as they worked hard to claw their way back from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter, only to go scoreless in the final 2:38 to lose by just one point.

Los Angeles Lakers Player Facts

• Anthony Davis ranks 1st amongst qualified players for Blocks Per Game (3.3) this season.
• LeBron James is one of only four qualified players in the league averaging at least 1.0 threes, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks this season.

Houston Rockets

Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets are looking to build on their three-game win streak after blowing past the Kings in a 122-97 home win on Monday. Alperen Sengun led the team with 17 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists while Jabari Smith Jr and Aaron Holiday scored 13 points each. As a team, the Rockets shot a healthy 57 percent from the field and 15 of 31 from the 3-point line as they jumped all over the Kings from the start, dominating both ends of the floor to build a 40-point lead before they rested all their starters early.

Houston Rockets Player Facts

• Alperen Sengun is one of only three qualified players in the league averaging at least 7.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds this season.
• Dillon Brooks ranks 2nd in the Western Conference amongst qualified players for 3P% (56.5%) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Rockets rank 1st in the league for Q3 opponent points per game this season (22.3).
• The Rockets ranks 30th in the league for pace this season (96.0).
• The Lakers rank 30th in the league for Q1 opponent points per game this season (34.0).
• The Lakers rank 30th in the league for Q1 win percentage this season (14.3%).

Peter's Pick

The Lakers are still shorthanded with Gabe Vincent out and Anthony Davis listed as questionable, while the Rockets are coming in with the same squad as last game. The Lakers have yet to find their groove this season, they're coming off a tough loss to the Heat and they could be missing Davis for this one. The Rockets have quietly strung together three upset wins and they looked like a different team against the Kings in their last outing. I understand why the Lakers are road favorites in this one, but the Rockets are a dangerous team at the moment and I think they get the win at home in this spot.

The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.