Lakers’ Attack Sputtering Entering Clash vs Rockets

With the West’s top seed already locked up, the Lakers hope to turn their offensive struggles around when they face the Rockets’ 23rd-ranked scoring defense. Houston is still playing for positioning in the West but may be without Russell Westbrook.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Most books had yet to open a line as of Wednesday morning, waiting for news on Westbrook’s playing status and the Lakers’ projected rotation. The underdog has covered seven of the last nine games in this series, including Houston’s 121-111 win in LA on February 6 and the Lakers’ 124-115 victory as 3.5-point road dogs on January 18.

Los Angeles News & Notes

The Lakers seemed to suffer a letdown Wednesday against Oklahoma City, losing 105-86 to the Thunder in their first game since clinching the top seed in the West.

Head coach Frank Vogel opted to play all his regulars in an effort to maintain momentum for the playoffs, but LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined to score just 28 points on 10-for-30 shooting and missed all eight of their three-point attempts.

Vogel told reporters Tuesday that he planned to play James and Davis against Houston as well, and the purple and gold could certainly use the opportunity to work on their offense.

LA shot 35 percent from the field Wednesday, marking the third time in four Orlando games that the Lakers have missed more than 60 percent of their shots. Dating back to before the shutdown, LA has scored 103 points or less in four of its last five games.

Houston News & Notes

Westbrook is listed as questionable for the Rockets after the former MVP sustained a bruised right quad in Houston’s 110-102 loss to Portland on Tuesday. Westbrook finished that contest with 15 points, snapping his streak of 20-point games at 36. The Rockets are already thin in the backcourt without Eric Gordon, who has yet to play in the bubble due to a sprained left ankle.

Houston battled back from a 13-point deficit against Portland to tie the game with several minutes to go, marking the third straight game the Rockets have played hard from behind. Houston dug its way out of an 11-point hole in the fourth quarter to beat Dallas in its Sportsbook game in Orlando, then erased an eight-point disadvantage in the final three minutes to beat the Bucks on Sunday.

If Houston falls behind by double digits in this one, it could open some value in live betting — especially with the Lakers playing their second game in as many days. The Rockets have won 15 of their last 19 games when facing an opponent playing on zero days’ rest, going 12-7 ATS during that span.

Betting Pick: Lakers -2

The Lakers should be eager to wash the taste of yesterday’s poor performance out of their mouths and get their offense back on track against the rival Rockets. LA has excelled on the back end of back-to-backs this season and none of the Lakers played more than 30 minutes in Wednesday’s loss.