Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Expert Pick – November 19, 2023

HOUSTON ROCKETS VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS EXPERT PICK – NOVEMBER 19, 2023 – Greetings basketball fans. Welcome back to our weekly NBA coverage here at Godzilla Wins.

After our earlier look at the Nuggets vs. Cavaliers, another game on Sunday’s slate features the Houston Rockets (6-4) taking on the Los Angeles Lakers (7-6)

Here is a look at which of these teams has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

When: Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 9:30 PM ET

Where: Crypto.arena, Los Angeles, CA

TV: SportsNet LA and Space City Home Network

Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers — Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Following an 0-3 start, the Houston Rockets rattled off six straight victories. That streak came to an abrupt halt by way of a 106-100 loss to the LA Clippers on Friday night. Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 23 points and eight rebounds. Jalen Green tallied 20 points, five assists and four rebounds. Fred VanVleet added 19 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds.

Unfortunately, it was not enough as the Clippers finished the game on a 12-1 run to give them their first win since acquiring James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers. Although the Rockets failed to close the deal against the Clippers, it is worth mentioning that they have the third-best scoring defense (105.8 PPG) and defensive rating (allowing 108.4 points per 100 possessions).

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers stumbled out the gate to a 3-5 start. Since that slow start, though, they have posted wins in four of their last five outings. This includes a 107-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. LeBron James led the Lakers’ scoring attack with 35 points, nine assists, five rebounds and two steals. Anthony Davis added 16 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks and three rebounds. These two guys will definitely have to bring their “A” game against a stingy Rockets defense.

The Picks

The Spread

The Lakers opened at a 7.5-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line has moved to 5.5. Let’s take a look at why going with the road team to cover in this matchup.

• The Rockets are 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.
• Houston is 6-3 ATS in its last nine matchups against Los Angeles.
• The Rockets are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five November games.
• Meanwhile, the Lakers are 5-10 ATS in their last 15 outings.
• Los Angeles is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games against Western Conference teams.
• The Lakers are 0-5 ATS this season in their last five Sunday home games.

Prediction: Houston Rockets (+5.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total opened at 221.5 points. That line has moved to 218.5 points. Here are a few trends that suggest why picking the OVER could be the way to go.

• In the past four matchups between these two teams, they eclipsed the projected point total all four times.
• The OVER total has hit for the Lakers five times in their last seven games against Houston.
• In the Lakers’ last six Sunday home games, the OVER is a perfect 6-0.

Prediction: OVER 218.5 points

Player Prop Bet

My key player to watch in this contest is Alperen Sengun. He currently has -105 odds of scoring more than 18.5 points and -120 odds of scoring less than 18.5 points.

In 10 career games against the Lakers, he is averaging 16.4 points per contest. However, Sengun is averaging 19.8 points per contest this season. Furthermore, he has exceeded the projected point total in each of his last four games. Given these trends, I am going with the OVER for Sengun.

Prediction: Alperen Sengun OVER 18.5 points