LeBron James will make his home debut for the Los Angeles Lakers this weekend. While that’s guaranteed, a win is not. The Lakers will host the Houston Rockets in what’s going to be a tough matchup. Houston did not play well in its season-opening loss to the Pelicans and will undoubtedly be focused to pull out a win.
James is still the best player in the world but James Harden is the reigning league MVP and would love to lead the Rockets to a road victory. LeBron had a big game in his debut with the Lakers but it was not enough to beat the Trail Blazers. This is lining up to be an entertaining and intriguing early-season showdown.
Houston has more overall talent while the Lakers boast James and the home court advantage, which figures to make the spread a small one in NBA live betting odds.
This NBA basketball game between the Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California at 7:30 p.m ET on Saturday, October 20th, 2018. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
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Odds Analysis
No line has been released for this game, but according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index matchup predictor, the Lakers have a 51 percent chance to win this game and the Rockets 49 percent. The spread is likely to fall in line with that, as one team or the other will be the slightest of favorites.
The scoring total could be high as the Rockets like to push the pace and Los Angeles could have some defensive issues early on as it integrates plenty of new pieces. This game will feature live betting, which is a fantastic way to take advantage of patterns and trends throughout the contest. Instead of just pregame wagers there are ways to make bets while the in-game action is happening.
Matchup To Watch
James Harden vs. LeBron James -- Two of the best players in the NBA face off in this one. Harden had a decent start to the season with 18 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds but he needs to score more than that on a consistent basis to get his team victories.
James should be great individually in this one but he also prides himself on getting teammates involved. It’s unknown where the chemistry will be at for the Lakers, but it would be silly to count Los Angeles out because of LeBron’s presence alone. He generally finds ways to get things done because not only is he an elite physical player but also an elite mental one.
Key Stat
131. That’s the number of points the Rockets gave up in their season -opening loss to the Pelicans on Wednesday. The Rockets are expected to have a high-powered offense again this season but their defensive effort will have to get better than this first showing.
Anthony Davis was unstoppable for the Pelicans in the opener as he had 32 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Nikola Mirotic added 30 points while Julius Randle had 25 off the bench and Elfrid Payton added a triple-double.
The Rockets allowed the Pelicans to shoot efficiently from the field and Houston lost the rebounding battle decisively. The defensive intensity needs to turn up in this one.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Lakers should round into form at some point this season but the road could be bumpy early on. The Rockets stumbled in their opener but should be back to their high-flying ways in this one. Houston is the pick to win this game and the “over” could be the right call depending on where the scoring total comes in.
Don’t forget about the live betting as it is another way to pad the bankroll in NBA gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: Houston Rockets 116, Los Angeles Lakers 109
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