Lakers vs. Rockets Opening Odds for Game 6 (Houston Favored to Force Game 7)

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers shocked a lot of the NBA world by taking a 3-0 series lead in their first-round matchup against the Houston Rockets, but things have tightened up over the last few days.

Even with Austin Reaves (oblique) back in action in Game 5, the Lakers dropped a second game in a row to Houston, sending the series to a sixth game. The Rockets entered the series as -650 favorites, but an injury to Kevin Durant has completely altered things for Ime Udoka’s squad. The former league MVP has only played in one game in the series while the Lakers remain without Luka Doncic (hamstring), who isn’t expected to return in this round.

When it comes to Game 6, oddsmakers are expecting chaos.

Durant is not expected to play in Game 6, per ESPN’s Shams Charania, yet Houston is still favored in this matchup.

The Rockets were underdogs for the first time in this series in Game 5, but they pulled out a road win to send the series back to L.A.

Can the Rockets get one step closer to becoming the first team in NBA history to erase a 3-0 series deficit?

Let’s take a look at the odds, a quick breakdown of Game 6 ahead of Friday’s matchup.

Lakers vs. Rockets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Lakers +3.5 (-105)
Rockets -3.5 (-115)

Moneyline

Lakers: +150
Rockets: -180

Total

206.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Houston has covered the spread in back-to-back games with wins in Game 4 and Game 5, and it’s only favored by 3.5 points at home with Durant expected to be sidelined. Houston slowed down Reaves (4-for-16 from the field) in his first appearance this postseason, but the Rockets’ offense remains a question heading into Game 6.

These teams have fallen short of 206.5 combined points in three of the five games in this series, but they cleared this total in both games in Houston.

Lakers vs. Rockets Game 6 Preview

Houston is halfway to history entering Game 6, but it still has a ton of work to do if it wants to beat this Lakers team two more times.

Los Angeles came up just short in Game 5, and Luke Kennard (one point) and Reaves (4-for-16 from the field) didn’t exactly play their best basketball.

Houston actually has a +1.8 net rating in this series, and it outranks the Lakers in offensive rating, as L.A. has slipped to 12th out of 16 playoff teams after the Game 5 loss.

Houston still lacks shot creation with Durant sidelined, but the Lakers are extremely thin on offensive options if Kennard is regressing to the mean after a strong start to the series. James can only do so much on offense, and Reaves couldn’t buy a shot in the second half of Game 5.

It wouldn’t be shocking to see Houston force a Game 7, but the Reaves factor is important. If the Lakers star can shake off his rough second half in Game 5, he should be more of a positive on Friday.

For bettors, it’s really important to acknowledge the trend that Houston is just 18-25 against the spread at home (second-worst mark in the NBA) and 17-23 against the spread as a home favorite.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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