Lakers vs. Rockets prediction and odds for Sunday, April 2 (Los Angeles wins big)

The Lakers push for the playoffs is in full force, and they now get to improve its standing amongst the Western Conference postseason standings as double digit favorites against the worst team in the West, the Houston Rockets.

With LeBron James back in the lineup, the Lakers are building momentum ahead of the postseason. The Rockets are playing for next season, and maybe beyond that, and that’s reflected in the point spread as the Lakers are laying double digits on the road. Will Houston put up a fight or is this going to be one way traffic?

Here are the odds for Sunday’s matchup:

Lakers vs. Rockets odds, spread and total

Lakers vs. Rockets prediction and pick

The Rockets record may not be as dire as it appears over the last month, 6-10 over the last 16 games spanning the last month. However, when the team loses, they lose badly.

The team has posted a -15.2 net rating in those 10 losses and will likely struggle to maintain it’s offensive form against a Lakers defense that is third in points allowed per 100 possessions over the last month.

Houston’s offense has kept itself afloat in some games of late, the team is just below the league average in the last four weeks, but the defense is the second worst in the league in the same time span. When the Rockets lose it’s mainly due to the defense not being able to slow anybody down.

Against a Lakers team that is playing like a top 10 team in the league of late, and LeBron is making an impact on the floor, I don’t see many avenues to Houston staying close in this one. LA’s defense will dictate the terms of this game and this should be a routine victory.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.