The Houston Rockets have already clinched the best record in the NBA, and are on the short list of contenders for a championship run. While they will be revved up and ready to go for the postseason, it remains to be seen how hard they will play the rest of the way in the regular season.
Houston will play its second-to-last game of the regular season early next week against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lake Show has been eliminated from the playoffs but do play at home in this one. The Rockets should be favored, but this one is harder to gauge because Houston’s level of intensity will be questioned.
Don’t be surprised if the NBA basketball spread is lower than expected in NBA wagering.
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Odds Analysis
The Rockets are 64-16 straight up and 41-37-2 against the spread. Houston has gone 24-14-1 against the spread on the road this year. The Rockets are 39-33-2 against the spread as the favorite.
The Lakers are 34-46 straight up and 41-39 against the spread. Los Angeles has covered in 21 of 40 attempts at home this season. The Lakers are 30-32 against the spread as the underdog.
Player To Watch
James Harden -- The best player on the court will be Houston’s MVP candidate. Harden has put together a fantastic season. He is averaging 30.6 points, 8.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds per contest. Harden is shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from three-point range. He has a preternatural ability to get to the free throw line and also picks up easy points there.
Harden has only sat out one game this season due to rest, and it remains to be seen if the Rockets keep him out at some point the rest of the way. The Rockets finish with back-to-back road games against the Lakers here and then against the Kings, so it wouldn’t be a shock for Harden to sit and watch one of those from the sideline.
If he doesn’t play against Los Angeles it would have a huge effect on the spread. The Lakers may actually be favored if Harden isn’t on the court.
Injury Report
The Lakers could be without promising young big man Brandon Ingram, who has missed the past four games with a concussion. A head injury is something teams must be cautious about, and so it’s possible Ingram doesn’t play in this matchup.
He has become a key piece for the Lakers, averaging 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Ingram is shooting 47.0 percent from the field on the year. He is only 20 years old and looks to be a building block for this team moving forward.
Ingram missed time earlier this year with a different injury so it hasn’t been the smoothest ride in 2017-18, but when he’s been on the court the production has been there. Keep a close watch on Ingram’s status for this one. While his presence or absence won’t have the same impact on the spread as Harden’s, Ingram is still a key piece in this showdown.
Free NBA ATS Picks
There is a lot of unknown with Houston at this point. The Rockets have cruised through any and all comers for most of the season but don’t have a lot of motivation at this point. Houston lost at home to Oklahoma City last time out and may be a lot more interested in the postseason than the Lakers at this point.
With that in mind, consider taking Los Angeles to cover this spread in NBA basketball betting.
NBA Odds: Wizards 107, Celtics 103
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